A MUDSLIDE caused by torrential rain on Monday night saw the temporary closure of the A358 in Combe Florey.
About 100 tonnes of mud and potatoes slid from fields onto the road near the West Somerset Railway bridge during thunderstorms which swept over the area after last week’s heatwave.
Somerset County Council sent highways staff to the scene but it was considered too dangerous to clear up in the dark and so the road was closed and traffic diverted.
On Tuesday, the council sent traffic management teams, excavators, lorries, jetting machines, and sweepers to undertake the clearance operation.
The road was reopened in the afternoon.
Council transport portfolio holder Cllr Mike Rigby, who lives in nearby Bishops Lydeard, said the stretch of road had ‘higher drainage capacity’ installed about a year ago but it could not cope with the amount of rain on Monday.
He said issues with ‘water pooling’ had been noticed under the bridge previously.
The road has been subject to frequent flooding by water run-off from fields since apple orchards were ripped out about 25 years ago.
Watch video of the clean-up:
Cleaning up