SIR — Once again activity in West Somerset is to grind to a halt as work on our vital road is set to close it for up to 90 hours over the next three weeks.

The closure will sorely inconvenience many, if not most, people of West Somerset.

But it doesn't get near the heart of the problem which has been caused by the failure of our county council to modernise this antiquated 1920s road where accidents cause many more blockages than the occasional flood.

Large vehicles cannot cannot pass on this trunk road which has more pinch points than any other main road in Somerset and costs millions in delays and transport costs.

Health and safety would close this inadequate and dangerous highway in an instant if they had the powers.

Excluding the motorway, this road carries the third highest traffic flow in the whole county, yet apparently there is no alternative other than to close it for three weeks. One guess as to where all the traffic will attempt to go.

Planned or unplanned - brush it under the carpet, West Somerset only has three votes at County Hall and they can be safely ignored.

Our county council has dismally failed in its primary task of providing evenly across the county.

Jim Butterworth,

Grove Road,