DUST clouds, chunks of flying Tarmac and slow traffic have become a nuisance for residents in North Petherton as roadworks continue in the village.

Skid warnings and speed restrictions have been in place on the A38 leading into North Petherton while the council carries out surface dressing.

The work began last week, but a small number of residents have complained that they did not receive much information prior to the work beginning, compared to others.

Samantha Underwood, owner of Sammylou, said: “I haven’t seen many people working on the road – I’m not sure when they’re actually working on it.

“I assume they’ve been starting later in the day to avoid traffic.

“It’s about time the road had work on it with the amount of traffic that comes through here – it’s a good idea as most of the road markings are quite faded.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) it was horrendous – I thought there had been an accident on the M5 again.

“I wasn’t aware that any roadworks were taking place originally – I opened this store on May 3 and since then I’ve not had any notification.”

Sharon Lawrence, owner of Dolphins Child-care Centre, said: “We had a leaflet through a couple of weeks ago saying the roadworks were taking place.

“The traffic on the main road has been horrendous and the dust coming up from it has been a problem, but it’s one of those things that needs to be done.”

A Somerset County Council spokesman said: “This is a cost-effective treatment that seals the old road surface to prevent the ingress of water.

“Water, if allowed to enter the road structure, will cause severe damage to the strength of the road and cause early failure, leading to potholes.

“The A38 will be swept shortly after re-surfacing to remove the loose chippings and again if necessary to minimise dust.”

Anyone with concerns about the work can contact the county council by calling 0845-3459155 or emailing roadsandtransportSD@ somerset.gov.uk