TWO of the busiest routes in and out of Portishead will be covered by traffic cones this September. North Somerset Council highways chiefs revealed this week that work on resurfacing the A369 and improving the existing lay-by will get underway this month.

TWO of the busiest routes in and out of Portishead will be covered by traffic cones this September.North Somerset Council highways chiefs revealed this week that work on resurfacing the A369 and improving the existing lay-by will get underway this month.To avoid delays to commuters, the work will be carried out at off peak times, between 9.30am and 3.30pm and traffic will be controlled by stop/go boards.The resurfacing work, costing £320,000, has also been timed to coincide with essential tree works alongside the Portbury Hundred.The council has carried out a survey of trees growing alongside A roads in the district and a programme has been put in place to deal with those considered to be a threat to public safety. An area of particular concern is alongside Portbury Hundred, on the verge between the road and the motorway.These trees are mainly poplars and willows which tend to be shortlived and more brittle than most other trees.As part of the work a line of willows north of the lay-by will be pruned to a height so that if they fall they would not reach the road.A large group of poplars will be felled and several of the larger trees will also be removed, whilst many more will be pruned.A number of willows close to the road edge north of the footbridge will be removed and the others pruned.North Somerset Council deputy leader and member responsible for highways, Councillor Elfan Ap Rees said: "We have seen elsewhere in the country the risk posed to lives by unsafe trees and the work here is being undertaken purely to remove those that threaten this busy road now and into the future."It has been timed to coincide with the resurfacing work in order to keep disruption to the travelling public to an absolute minimum."We apologise to road users who may be temporarily inconvenienced by these works."The work is expected to last four weeks.