31/05/2026
🚧 A35 ROAD CLOSURES: WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 🚧
This week we spoke with The Bridport and Lyme Regis News about the upcoming A35 closures planned by National Highways throughout June, July and August.
Check out the article:
https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/26141476.a35-summer-road-closures-hit-west-dorset-pubs-hard/
The closures are scheduled as follows:
📍 Honiton – Taunton Cross: 7th–20th June
📍 Axminster – Bridport: 1st–18th July
📍 Bridport – Dorchester: 10th–15th August
📍 Stinsford – Bere Regis: 17th August–5th September
⏰ Closures will be in place from 8pm–6am each night.
We rely heavily on midweek evening and dinner trade, welcoming locals and visitors from Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Axminster, Bridport and beyond. These closures will undoubtedly affect not only us, but all other local businesses at a time when tourism would be helping our local economy thrive.
The closures will also impact the LB1 Friday evening bus service, which is being piloted this summer. It's hard to see how the service can be given the best chance of success when its route faces repeated disruption.
Our concern comes from previous experiences with A35 closures. On many occasions, roads have been closed at 8pm but works have not started for hours, have finished much earlier than expected, or in some cases have not appeared to take place at all. Unfortunately, by then the damage is already done — people have seen the closure signs and decided not to travel out for the evening.
Bridport News asked the question on our behalf: why not begin closures at 10pm instead of 8pm? This would allow pubs and hospitality venues to continue serving evening customers while still enabling overnight works to be completed - everyone wins!
National Highways response: The scale of the work requires a full night shift and that carrying out works overnight is intended to minimise disruption when traffic volumes are lowest. We sincerely hope that we experience “full night shifts” to be carried out this time so that the likely disruption to our businesses is worth it.
We all depend on these busy summer evenings, and every lost booking matters.
National Highways have also stated that they sympathise with affected businesses and they'll "be working closely with stakeholders and local communities and businesses in the meantime to minimise any impacts" - National Highways we’re yet to hear from you 🙋♀️🙋♂️ - Jonathan Hill, Route Planner - why not come in to The Clock Inn for a pint? This is your official invite to work closely with us!
🚁 Sidenote: we note the comment from Mark Hix that if people want to get somewhere they will find a way - It’s not going to be possible to get to the closed sections of the A35 unless you can swim, boat, fly, or walk - drone flown takeaways coming soon from The Clock, watch this space! 👀😉😂
Check out the article if you haven't already and in the meantime…
👇 We'd love to hear from you 🫵:
❓ How will these closures affect your plans this summer?
❓ Have you seen works begin promptly and continue throughout the night during previous closures?
❓ What do you think National Highways could do to better support local businesses and minimise disruption?
Share your experiences and opinions below.
PUB managers have been left frustrated once again as road closures at the height of the summer holidays are set to cost them thousands of pounds.
