Decision details

On 25/09/25, a tanker delivering kerosene suffered a leak, causing it to spill onto the A37 between Pensford and Chelwood roundabout. Passing vehicles spread this spill further. Despite the initial cleanup on site, a materials specialists that we arranged to visit the site advised us that the road surface had been damaged by the kerosene and that it was necessary to remove the contaminated surface and replace with new. Due to the high volume of traffic carried by the A37, which is part of the national Primary Route Network and a major route through Somerset into Bristol, it was imperative to get the road re-opened as soon as possible. The signed diversion route was long and some drivers were using inappropriate local rural lanes to avoid the closure. A major bus route serving Wells, the Somer Valley and Bristol was affected together with a local Chew Valley bus service.
We used the services of our term highway contractor to arrange for a suitable diversion and traffic management to be put in place, as well as for the damaged road surface to be taken up and replaced.
The cost of the works and associated management is estimated to be £300,000. It is necessary to uplift the Highway Maintenance Capital Budget by this amount to cover the cost. We will be seeking recovery of the cost in full from the insurers of the company that operated the tanker from which the kerosene leak occurred.

That the Highway Maintenance Capital Budget is uplifted by £300,000 to cover the cost of these unplanned works and that the costs are recovered from the third party or their insurers.

Option 1 - To resurface the road as set out above
Option 2 - Not resurfacing the road – this was ruled out on the advice of the materials specialist, which had advised that the road surface had been damaged by the kerosene and was liable to fail, posing a future safety issue.