THE county road crossing the dam at Braydon Pond, at Charlton, will be reopened to traffic after a three-year wait, it was decided last week.

A £110,000 repair job was approved by Wiltshire County Council to shore up and repair the dam, which was closed because it was deemed unsafe.

County councillor Carole Soden said she was pleased a decision had been taken.

She said: "It is an important road in the area. I am delighted. This has been going on for the last three years, which is very unfair for the local residents.

The road was closed after it was discovered a leak in a water main had caused the clay fill to soften. The dam then began to slip into the reservoir under the weight of traffic."

Work to strengthen the dam using a reinforced wall along its length and

repair the pipe and road will begin once the budget bid has been approved in February.

The chosen scheme was the most costly of three options.

The other plans would see the dam repaired and the road closed permanently or restricted to one lane using traffic lights.

Coun Soden said that Wessex Water was partly to blame and negotiations were under way to get some money from them.

She said: "We had a duty to open the road as soon as we can.

"In the meantime we will be trying to get a contribution from Wessex Water in due course."