Bath and North East Somerset Council announced plans to recoup expenses incurred from urgent repair works following a significant fuel oil spill that led to the closure of the A37 for several days.
On 25 September, an oil spill spanning approximately 800 meters between Pensford and the Chelwood roundabout forced the closure of the busy route. The incident prompted a swift multi-agency response involving the council’s highways teams, police, and fire service, who collaborated to secure the area and implement necessary diversions.
Due to the extent of the contamination, the damaged section required urgent resurfacing before reopening. Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery, praised the emergency response: “Our highways teams and contractors acted swiftly and tirelessly, working through the night to resurface and reopen the A37 just two days after the spill.”
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The repair works covered over 6,000 square meters of highway—an area comparable to 23 tennis courts. The A37 successfully reopened on 27 September.
The council confirmed it will seek to recover the full cost of these essential repair works from the company responsible for the spill.