PEOPLE living close to a major route linking Swindon and Marlborough, say the road is a “death trap” which is causing chaos for villagers and businesses.

The A346 has been an accident blackspot for years, according to residents.

Police shut the road at different points between Chiseldon and Ogbourne St Andrew several times in recent months due to crashes, while villagers in Ogbourne St George claim there were three incidents last week alone.

Belinda Evans, an employee at Ogbourne Downs Golf Club, located along the A346 at Ogbourne St George, refers to her commute as “the death road”.

She said: “People come pelting down the road at a million miles an hour. It can take me ages to pull out onto the road because they get right up the back of you, and it is dangerous.

“It is a death trap and an accident waiting to happen. I call it the death road.”

Mrs Evans added that constant road closures, because of accidents, impact the club’s business.

She said: “It has an affect on our staff because they shut the road and we can’t get out, that’s happened a few times in the last year.

“It does make a difference because people can’t get in or get here on time, which isn’t the end of the world, but we have nowhere to fit them in so it’s very difficult.”

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: The High Street at Ogbourne St George can't cope with heavy traffic.The High Street at Ogbourne St George can't cope with heavy traffic. (Image: Newsquest)

Concerns over the road are just as strong in Ogbourne St George, where Sid Bolt has lived for 30 years.

He says his family, who live in Swindon, are so worried about the A346 they refuse to use it and visit him via alternative roads.

He added: “It’s never changed in 30 years, there has always been accidents. My family are frightened of the road so psychologically people are affected.”

Road closures have caused chaos in the village, where traffic is often diverted after an accident, and logjams regularly occur due to increased congestion.

“The village can’t take the traffic. Last year a diverted truck took out all the phone wires as it came up through the village”, remembered Mr Bolt.

While villagers believe the primary cause of accidents is the speed of vehicles, the finger has also been pointed at poor surfacing.

One local man claimed motorists “move into the middle of the road to avoid potholes”.

Several locals are in favour of double white lines to prevent drivers overtaking, while others have appealed for traffic calming measures such as traffic lights or speed bumps.