Gore Clump safety scheme

Work is proposed to improve the road layout in the Gore Clump junction area.

Gore Clump is just off the C13 between Blandford and Shaftesbury and is next to the Compton Abbas Airfield.

The location has two junctions, Boundary Road northern arm adjacent to the airfield and Boundary Road southern arm – both of which connect with the C13.

Collision data

Gore Clump has previously been identified as an injury collision cluster site. In June 2018 this stretch of roads speed limit was reduced from 60mph to 40mph. However, comparing data before and after the speed limit reduction shows very little improvement.

Collisions between 7 June 2014 and 6 June 2018:

• 1 fatal
• 3 serious
• 2 slight

Collisions between 7 June 2018 and 6 June 2022:

• 0 fatal
• 4 serious
• 1 slight

Analysis of the collision data – including vehicles involved, direction of travel, vehicle movements, time of day and weather conditions – has identified the junction layout as a contributory factor.

Design work for a new layout

Due to the sensitivity of the landscape, as well as its ecological significance, our engineers have been developing an unintrusive layout design while still achieving significant safety benefits. 

Gore Clump proposed new layout.

This combines vehicle movement restrictions with lining and signing improvements:

• one-way northern arm (no entry from Boundary Road) 
• no right-turn into northern arm
• no right-turn from southern arm onto C13 for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes 
• double white lines to reduce inappropriate overtaking
• ‘slows’ & rumbles to improve awareness of the junction
• Southern arm junction markings to ‘square up’ junction
• Boundary Road junction markings to reduce northern arm vehicle speeds; northern arm to give way and priority for southern arm
• speed gateways to emphasise 40mph speed limit
• review of existing road signs and introduction of new warning signs 
• vegetation clearance to enhance visibility at southern arm

These improvements will be monitored for effectiveness and built-upon as necessary in the future to ensure our aim of improving safety is met.

Construction

Work to implement the safety scheme will start on Monday 24 November and be complete by Friday 19 December.

To facilitate both our improvement work at Gore Clump and additional structural maintenance identified for Boundary Road, proposed measures are now:

Boundary Road

Boundary Road will be closed on weekdays between 7.30am and 4.30pm from Monday 24 November to Friday 12 December. Outside these weekdays/times a priority/control system will be in place.

Access to the airfield will be available from one end of Boundary Road at any given time, depending on the location of the works. Access will remain available for emergency services to ensure the safe operating of the airfield.

C13

The C13 will be closed overnight from 8pm to 6am on Monday 15 December and Tuesday 16 December. 

Stop/Go traffic management will be in use during the day from Monday 15 December to Wednesday 17 December. 

We understand that these works will be disruptive, and we have tried to minimise inconvenience while still providing a safe construction site.