Polystyrene Debris Causes Serious Flooding at Salisbury Underpass

A Salisbury underpass was severely flooded last week due to polystyrene debris, National Highways has confirmed.

The underpass beneath Churchill Way West, between St Paul’s Road and the retail park, is prone to flooding, but the blockage caused a pump to fail, leading to significant water accumulation.

Two nearby underpasses at the St Paul’s roundabouts were also temporarily closed on Monday, February 2, while National Highways inspected smaller flood incidents, also linked to debris. Councillor Chris Taylor said the routes are now clear.

“I sympathise with residents,” he said. “These underpasses serve a vital purpose, so the onus is on National Highways to do as much as it can, as soon as it can, to resolve the problems.”

Andrew Gale, National Highways service delivery manager, added: “We are working to tackle the flooding issue at the A36 underpasses as quickly as possible and continue to assess the situation as a matter of urgency.

“An inspection on Monday identified floodwater at the St Paul’s and Churchill Way West underpasses. We have employed a team of specialist engineers to resolve the issues—a debris blockage at St Paul’s, and a tripped pump caused by polystyrene debris under Churchill Way West.

“We’re monitoring all of our underpasses regularly, and during the current unprecedented rainfall, we encourage people to contact us or Wiltshire Council immediately if they detect any problems.”