The first phase of a major project to improve the busy Dunball roundabout linking Bridgwater and Junction 23 of the M5 near Highbridge starts later this month.
Somerset County Council and its partner, Balfour Beatty, are delivering an upgraded, signalised roundabout.
Preparation work is scheduled to commence at the end of January under traffic management and will include vegetation and some tree removal.
The Council is committed to offsetting the removal of trees by replanting at another location in Somerset as part of the county’s Climate Emergency Strategy.
Work is expected to commence in the summer on construction. Once complete the new design should help manage peak time traffic flow more efficiently, enable growth and development in the area and will reduce the likelihood of traffic blocking back on to the motorway in future.
The plan will also see enhanced pedestrian and cycling access as part of the scheme’s commitment to active travel provision and improved cycling and walking links into Bridgwater.
Last November the next phase of the A38 Active Travel Corridor opened alongside the River Parrett from Bridgwater’s Express Park to the Saltlands Bridge.
This new safe route for cyclists and pedestrians, will eventually stretch from the Gravity site at Puriton to Bridgwater town centre via Dunball.
As well as a contribution from the Government’s Levelling Up fund, the scheme has been funded jointly by Sedgemoor District Council, Bridgwater Town Deal, the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and National Highways.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Digital, says: “This is an important project at a very busy interchange where there can sometimes be significant delays for road users during peak times, and it is also very difficult to access for pedestrians and cyclists. It’s great to be working in partnership with Balfour Beatty to deliver another significant improvement on Somerset’s network.”
“We’re really pleased to see the commencement of enabling works in January – of course this may cause some slight delays at peak times but our team will do their utmost to minimise this.”
