Traders fear impact of six week B3157 closure at Portesham

The B3157 at Portesham is currently closed while teams begin a £250,000 water mains scheme on a 200-metre stretch of the coast road at Goose Hill.

The road is closed to through traffic in both directions between the entrance to Manor Dairy and just past Malthouse Meadow. 

This comes after another recent closure on the B3157 at Abbotsbury Hill with many voicing their frustration over the lack of notice. 

READ MORE: Uproar over lack of notice for B3157 Abbotsbury Hill works

Work on the latest scheme is expected to be completed by Friday, November 8.

Map of the closure (Image: Wessex Water) Many businesses in Abbotsbury have expressed concerns about the lengthy closure after the major disruption previous roadworks caused. 

Marianna Browning, owner of Cherries at Abbey Farm, said she is "seriously worried" after suffering a "massive drop in business" during the Abbotsbury Hill closure. 

She said: "We all understand the necessity of the road closure, but the signage from both ends is not only confusing but pretty aggressive and not informative. 

Marianna Browning, co-owner of Cherries café in Abbotsbury (Image: Marianna Browning) "There are no signs to let drivers know that businesses in Swyre, West Bexington or Abbotsbury are still open and easily accessible. 

"To be honest, after a distinctly lacklustre summer season due to awful weather and very low visitor numbers, weathering this new obstacle is going to put enormous pressure on business owners."

Marianna also owns The Lemon Tree café in Swyre along with Craig Ainsworth who also shares similar concerns about continued loss of trade. 

He said:  “The initial one at Abbotsbury Hill caused confusion. We didn't have customers coming from the Burton Bradstock and Bridport area because they were being diverted back towards Litton Chaney. 

Left: Lemon Tree Pub manager Emily Davies with Marianna and Craig (Image: Hollie Carr) "We lost a lot of business over 3 to 4 days because we weren't seeing regular customers. 

"It's still been quiet now. We're concerned as we're a fairly new business which only opened in April. It has seriously affected businesses in the nearby villages."

The roadworks mean that the X53 bus route is on diversion via Winterbourne Abbas, with a temporary T53 bus service being put in place, operating a shuttle service between Abbotsbury and Bridport.

Amy Ralph, co-owner of Abbey Farm Flowers on Church Street, is calling for there to be more signage making people aware of the shuttle bus to help tourists and locals in the area. 

Abbey Farm in Abbotsbury (Image: Hollie Carr) She said: "It's definitely confusing people that aren't local. At the moment the road is closed at Portesham from Bridport. 

"I am worried about people not bothering to come from Weymouth direction. 

“Tourists won't know the area and may be put off. There needs to be more to let people know about the free shuttle bus to offer the alternative because this has definitely affected our business. "