The highways team at Bath & North East Somerset Council have begun cutting back vegetation along verges in order to enhance road safety in rural areas.
Over 1,015 kilometres of highway verge will be tidied throughout the area, with the work expected to be completed by mid-July.
Trimming back the vegetation is vital in improving sight-line visibility at junctions and bends, resulting in safer navigation for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and motorists.
The initiative also ensures that traffic signs remain visible. Additionally, it creates pedestrian refuges in areas without footpaths and helps maintain vegetation and brushwood at manageable levels.
The council says it will aim to minimise disruption during the project, prioritising the safety and convenience of road users.
In areas where it is deemed safe to do so, some verges will be left uncut to provide ecological benefits to local wildlife and the environment.
The presence of long grass and wildflowers serves as a valuable food and shelter source for insects, birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “Having good visibility at junctions is important for the safety of everyone using our roads, and these works are essential to help us achieve that.
“However, as we’ve done in previous years, we’ll leave suitable areas uncut for longer periods to encourage wildflowers, bees and other pollinators to thrive which is better for the environment.”
The highways teams cut verges twice a year to make sure roads are kept as safe as possible.
