TAXI firms in Trowbridge say the closure of a main route through Stallard Street has caused chaos for their services.

Both Alpha Taxis and Eagle Taxis said the roadworks had hit their business on top of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Mary Wilson, senior controller at Alpha Taxis in Castle Street, said: “It has been a bit of a nightmare.

“We are having to go all the way round the mulberry bush to get where we want to go. It has been a nuisance but I suppose we will just have to put up with it.

“It would have been better if they had done the work at night-time rather than during the day.”

Murat Andak, boss of Eagle Taxis, which operates four vehicles from Trowbridge Railway Station, said: “It is one big chaos.

“I hope that it’s not going to take too long. It is taking ages to get around town to the station.

“I don’t know why they couldn’t have done it earlier, during the lockdown.”

But Richard Gardner, who owns a hairdressing salon in Stallard Street close to the road works, said: "Everything it good. It has not disrupted us at all."

Sarah Moore, manager of The Shires Shopping Centre in Trowbridge, said: "We won't have the actual footfall figures until next week but it doesn’t feel like it has affected footfall."

The works in Stallard Street involve repairs to the existing carriageway, the installation of new road markings and the adjustment of surface ironwork.

The road is closed between the A363 Trinity Church roundabout and the B3106/ Bythesea Road roundabout and Station Approach entrance.

Lance Allan, chief executive of Trowbridge Town Council, said: “Wiltshire Council decided to postpone the work until the summer until after the schools closed.

“In hindsight, they might have been better doing it in March as planned, because the roads were quiet following the Covid-19 lockdown.”

Road closures in Trowbridge and in Bradford on Avon this week have caused widespread delays and disruption. Major through routes in both towns are closed for road resurfacing and repair works.

They include the A363 Bath Road near the Winsley Road roundabout and the B3107 Holt Road in Bradford on Avon

The closures have led to delays and disruption for local drivers, and long diversions for HGV drivers.

In Bradford on Avon, work is taking place on the A363 close to the junction with the B3108 Winsley Road and Berryfield Road, and on the B3107 in Silver Street, which is closed from the town centre roundabout with Market Street to the junction with the B3109 at Springfield.

The closure, until August 14 is to enable Klas Hyllen Architecture and Bath Roofing to carry out roofing works to The Vinters and 24 Silver Street.

The alternative route is via the unaffected length of the Holt Road to the B3109 at Springfield, along New Road to Mount Pleasant and the A363 Bath Road and vice versa.

Further closures will take place on the Holt Road from 9am-5pm on August 18 and 19 for vegetation clearance and a wall survey between part of the Holt Road from the Springfield junction to Cemetery Lane.

The alternative route is via the unaffected length of the B3107 to the B3105 and B3109 and vice versa.

The main diversion route for all through traffic affected by the Stallard Street closure is via A363 Bythesea Road, A361 County Way, A361 Hilperton Road, Hilperton Relief Road/ Elizabeth Way, Canal Road, The Down, Islington, B3106 Prospect Place, Conigre, Fore Street, Wicker Hill, B3106 Stallard Street.

The Stallard Street diversion is only required for traffic travelling westbound on Bythesea Road towards Stallard Street. Traffic travelling from Stallard Street eastbound onto and then along Bythesea Road can still travel as they usually would.

Drivers of cars and light vans can use the A363 Bythesea Road, A361 County Way, A361 Bradley Road, Frome Road, Newtown, Stallard Street roundabout and vice versa.

Drivers of HGVs will have to divert along the A363 Bythesea Road, A361 County Way, A361 Bradley Road, A361 Frome Road, B3109 Bradford Road, Rode Hill, B3109 Bradford Road, A366 Wingfield Road, Stallard Street roundabout; and vice versa.