ONE of the main roads through Dunster will be closed for up to three months while Wessex Water upgrades the village water mains.

Other highways works will also be carried out, including traffic calming, traffic light upgrades and the replacement of some footpath cobbles with paving.

Residents are being invited to an information drop-in next week to find out how the works and road closures will affect them.

The work is scheduled to start in January and will involve the replacement of two water mains which run under West Street from the junction with Park Street to the junction with St George's Hill and Castle Hill.

Wessex Water said the existing mains were coming to the end of their serviceable life and had suffered a number of leaks which had led to several unplanned emergency road closures.

The old mains will be replaced with modern plastic pipes to safeguard the quality of the water supply and reduce the risk of future disruptions.

Individual service pipes will be reconnected to the new mains and any metal pipes within the public highway will be replaced at the same time.

Wessex Water project manager Paul Hobbs said: "The improvement work will ensure that businesses and residents have a more reliable supply of water for many years to come.

"We'll be using trenchless 'no-dig' techniques to significantly reduce how long the work takes, but due to the historic nature of Dunster and its narrow winding streets, the only way to safely carry out this work is to close the road.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. We'll be doing everything we can to complete our essential work as quickly as possible."

Somerset County Council said it would make the most of the road closure by carrying out its own works in the village at the same time.

This would include upgrading traffic lights: "Due to the difficulty in accessing these, the equipment has not been updated since the 1970s and faults are common.

"The new signals will be more energy efficient and reliable, and have been designed to make any future repairs much simpler," a spokesman for the county council said.

Work will be carried out on the footpaths in West Street, replacing areas of uneven cobbles with paving, something which has already been done in High Street.

The spokesman said the scheme had been developed following safety concerns and was the result of a request from county councillor Christine Lawrence in conjunction with the Dunster Working Group.

They put forward a bid for joint funding from the county council's Small Improvement Schemes programme and the parish council.

Highway works would also be carried out in anticipation of a new doctor's surgery, including traffic calming measures, improved street lighting and a Tarmacadam strip to act as a "virtual footway".

Once all the work has been completed, the road between Park Street and High Street will be resurfaced.

Cllr Harvey Siggs, Somerset County Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "This is a major collaboration between organisations, requiring a huge amount of forward planning with so many elements to consider.

"In many ways it would have been easier for us to carry out this work in the summer holidays when daylight hours are longer, weather is generally better and we wouldn't need to worry about school transport or gritting roads.

"However, that would clearly bring further disruption to Dunster.

"We know this work will have a significant impact, but we hope people will understand the need for improvements and recognise that we have listened to the community and timed this as best we can."

He added: "I would recommend everyone who may be affected by this scheme to come along to the drop-in event and talk to us.

"We've tried hard to think of every eventuality but please let us know of any concerns now so we can try to solve them before work begins."

The drop-in event will take place in Dunster Tithe Barn next Tuesday (October 28) from 2pm to 8pm.

Officers from the county council and staff from Wessex Water will be on hand to explain how the project will work and answer any questions.

As well as full details about the works, there will be information about access for residents, parking, diversions, public transport, school buses, waste collection and emergency contingency plans.