Floods at Ebley bypass as river Frome banks burst

The Ebley bypass - a main route between Stroud and Stonehouse - was closed for almost 24 hours after the River Frome burst its banks.

Before the closure, surface water led to chaos with traffic at a standstill.

The bypass was shut from 3pm on Saturday until 1pm on Sunday - which led to severe congestion along other routes including Westward Road.

Pictures showing the extent of the flooding were taken just ahead of the Ryeford junction and before the Horsetrough roundabout.

John Bloxsom, Labour Party group leader at Gloucestershire County Council who represents Rodborough, called for urgent action.

“This is a regular problem and it is not good enough," he said.

“Standing water on roads is a clear risk to road safety.

"This recurring issue needs to be investigated, the cause established and work carried out to solve the problem.

“We need more schemes to protect the area from flooding and improve our ability to deal with surface water during heavy rain."

A spokesperson for Cainscross Town Council said it is concerned as to why flooding issues are not being addressed.

“We are concerned as to why the issue of flooding on a main bypass from the motorway to Stroud is not being addressed and no remedial works are carried out,” said the spokesperson.

Motorists have also spoken about the situation.

One driver, David Thomas, said: “I was very worried that two ambulances on blue lights who were heading for Stroud had to turn around at the Ebley bypass.

"They had to go down Westward Road which was absolutely at a standstill.

"There was a Good Samaritan in a Range Rover who parked at the edge of the flood and was helping to pull stranded cars out which was good of him."

Resident Jessica Lloyd said: "We live along Westward Road and the traffic was nose to tail for two days.

“I’d like to ensure that this sort of flooding doesn’t happen again.”

Yakub Mulla, area highway manager at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “The road was closed for safety reasons after the River Frome flooded the Ebley bypass following very heavy rain in the area.

“After the water had drained away, the road was cleared to make it safe for traffic and reopened as soon as possible.”

This is not the first time flooding has affected the bypass.

During Christmas 2020, the bypass and Ryeford Road were severely submerged and in November 2012, the SNJ reported how roads turned to rivers, homes were flooded and motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles after floods in the area.