One-way traffic on Beaminster Tunnel as workers tackle Himalayan Balsam

Abseilers will descend the slopes on Monday and Tuesday (june 15 and 16) to pull and strim the invasive plant, which shades out and kills off other plants.

Dorset County Council hydro-seeded the slopes of the Beaminster Tunnel with native species of wild flowers, following the land-stabilisation works in 2013, and planned three-years of maintenance to rid the area of Himalayan Balsam to ensure the native flowers are allowed to establish and thrive.

Cllr Rebecca Knox, county councillor for Beaminster said: “Himalayan Balsam really is a dreadful fast growing plant. Allowing it to spread would give the wild flowers very little chance of flourishing.

“I’m grateful that proper care and attention has been given to the Beaminster Tunnel area. The local community would welcome the slopes returning back to a natural habitat for native flowers, grasses and insects to thrive.”

The A3066 – which runs through the tunnel – will be open in one direction only during the works to protect drivers from falling plant debris.

On Monday the tunnel will only be open for northbound traffic, and on Tuesday the tunnel will be open for southbound traffic.

The teams will return to the area in July and September for further ‘weeding’ of the area, which aims to get rid of the plants before they flower and set seed.

Following a fatal landslip in July 2012, the county council carried out land stabilisation works which included:

• Around 1000 nails, each between ten metres and 12 metres long, were driven into the slope and connected to a mesh covering and retaining the surface layers.

• Extensive drainage installed to remove water from the soil nailed slopes and prevent surface water from adjacent ground running on to the stabilised area.

• At both the north and south portals the end few metres of the arches were strengthened with reinforced with concrete.

• The wing walls on the approach to the tunnel portals were anchored into the slopes with soil nails.