Nightmare for commuters as snow, sleet, and rain hit Dorset (From Dorset Echo)

Nightmare for commuters as snow, sleet, and rain hit Dorset

10:30am Thursday 24th January 2013 in News By Catherine Bolado

COMMUTERS were faced with more travel disruption after snow, sleet and rain battered Dorset.

Ice and snow made driving conditions hazardous between Weymouth and Dorchester, while flooding closed the West Stafford bypass.

Coombe Valley Road in Preston was closed for several hours yesterday morning due to an overturned van.

Dorset Police said that soon after the incident the local authority ‘called a gritter in to treat the road’.

In Corfe Castle there was flooding on Tuesday evening and three cars got stuck in flood water.

Two people had to be rescued by firefighters, one was led to safety and the other was rescued using a boat.

Firefighters warned motorists to ‘take precautions’ in the area. A spokesman for the fire service said: “Drivers are reminded of the dangers of driving into flood water.”

The area remained flooded but passable for much of yesterday.

In Lyme Regis roads were only passable by 4x4 according to the Lyme Regis Safer Neighbourhood Team.

A Met Office yellow weather warning was in place this morning for ice along the south coast and drivers were advised to be careful.

Dorset County Council’s fleet of salt-spreading vehicles were out yesterday on Dorset’s roads and went out again this morning at 4am in preparation for the icy conditions.

County Council spokesman for highways and transport Peter Finney said the salting teams had been working very hard to keep Dorset’s transport network flowing.

He said: “I have to say I’m extremely proud of the efforts the gritting teams have been putting in.

“They have been working all the hours that are available and then some more.

“They are working hard to keep the roads open for commuters.”

Mr Finney added that they had early indications there could be snow this evening but added that trying to predict the weather was ‘not an easy task’.

In Weymouth and Bridport First Bus reported that most services ran as normal, but the service from Bridport to Yeovil did not operate and the Dorchester to Poole service was diverted at Bere Regis due to flooding.

Rubbish collections returned to normal in Weymouth and Portland yesterday but there was only a partial service in West Dorset as conditions north of Dorchester ‘differed from village to village’.

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said: “Our drivers are assessing the collections road by road.

“The county council will try and collect waste from as many places as possible where it is safe to do so.

“If your waste is not collected please hold on to it until your next scheduled collection date.”

Cold weather prohibits work

COLD weather has hit work to install a crossing point in Weymouth.The road closure, between the Cumberland Drive junction with Chickerell Road and access to the Land Registry on the Granby Industrial Estate, will now last until the end of Friday, February 8 – one week longer than planned.

The toucan crossing being installed is part of the Marsh Route shared use footpath and cycleway. Other work in the area has, so far, been unaffected by the cold weather.

School closure

FIVE schools were closed in the county due to the weather – Parrett and Axe Primary School, Beaminster Technology College and Broadwindsor Primary School in Beaminster, Mountjoy School in Bridport and Sticklands Primary School in Dorchester.

Wareham library was also closed due to the weather.