ANOTHER change of plans has been accepted for repairs to a West Somerset road where a 10-year-old schoolboy was killed when a coach crashed last July.

Somerset Council initially said it intended work to start on January 5 on the A396 Cutcombe Hill between Wheddon Cross and Timberscombe, but 48 hours later postponed the scheme to February 9 when it realised Christmas might affect the delivery of materials.

Now, the council has said it does not want to affect the annual Snowdrop Valley festival which runs each year and is centred on Wheddon Cross.

So, the A396 work will now take place at night to minimise disruption as much as possible.

A council spokesperson said: “The contractor has agreed to undertake the works during night-time hours.

“This will allow the carriageway to reopen during the daytime to support visitor access and local traffic.

“Temporary traffic lights will remain in place during the day.”

Snowdrop Valley, a natural phenomenon where millions of snowdrops can be seen flowering, runs from January 24 to February 22 this season.

It attracts thousands of visitors from all over Somerset and neighbouring counties who either walk the mile from Wheddon Cross to the Exmoor valley or use a shuttle bus service.

The A396 needs major engineering works with king pin concrete anchors and a supporting concrete beam installed to ensure its long-term stability.

Detailed ground investigations carried out in the six months since the crash had shown that sheet piling would not be suitable for reinstating the verge edge and fencing.

The project had been scheduled to take three weeks with the road completely closed except for school transport which would be escorted though the site.

The spokesperson said the scope of the works remained unchanged and the work was still expected to last for about three weeks.

They said: “This revised plan has also been co-ordinated closely with the A39 Dunster traffic signal upgrade, ensuring that both sets of works can proceed without compounding disruption on key local routes.

“By aligning the timings, we aim to maintain resilience across the network and avoid simultaneous closures or conflicting traffic management.

“We recognise how important both this route and the Snowdrop Valley period are to the community, local economy, and visitors.

“We thank you for your patience and co-operation while we deliver these vital improvements.

“To confirm arrangements, the road will be closed between 7 pm and 7 am from February 9 until February 27.

“The road will be reopened each day with the site then protected by two-way traffic signals.

“It is hoped that works will be completed sooner.

“If this happens, the road will be fully reopened as soon as practicable.”

Temporary two-way traffic lights have been in place since the crash in which Minehead Middle School pupil Oliver Price died and many other children and adults were injured when the coach came off the road as it returned from an end of academic year educational outing to Exmoor Zoo.