There will be numerous extra roadworks in the county over the coming 12 months
Somerset residents have had endure their fair share of roadworks throughout 2025 – and 2026 appears set to follow suit.
From the rollout of the Dunball ‘throughabout’ in Bridgwater to the enhancement of the ‘concrete carriageway’ in Wellington, plus Chard’s protracted gas and waste water improvements, Somerset drivers have spent substantial portions of their daily journeys stuck in tailbacks, wrestling with temporary traffic lights or lamenting extended diversions.
As we enter 2026, motorists are bracing themselves to return to the roads, whether for the initial post-Christmas commute, an extended haulage journey or completing a series of deliveries across the length and breadth of our county.
However, there will be numerous additional roadworks to navigate over the coming 12 months – and with any luck, at least some will result in genuine improvements to our local transport network.
Here are eight major schemes set to impact Somerset during the next 12 months.
A39/ A396 Dunster Steep junction
Traffic signals at the junction of the A39 Minehead Road and the A396 Dunster Steep are reaching the end of their working life and urgently need to be replaced.
Somerset Council will start work on Monday (January 5) to replace the 30-year-old lights, maintaining that allowing the lights to fail before repairs could cause “major disruption”.
“Intelligent temporary traffic lights” will remain operational throughout the construction period, which is anticipated to conclude by the end of April 2026.
The project entails extensive excavation work to remove and replace all existing ducting and cabling, alongside the traffic light equipment itself.
Centregreat will undertake the construction, having recently finished the £10.7m enhancement of the Dunball roundabout adjacent to junction 23 of the M5.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said in late-November: “This is a busy junction, and we are pleased to see this vital work taking place, replacing equipment at the end of its life and ensuring the signals are fit for purpose years to come.”
He added: “We are aware there will be disruption at peak traffic times and during school drop-offs and pick-ups, as well as for visitors heading to Minehead or Exmoor. The team will be working hard to minimise this.”
COMPLETION DATE: April 2026.
A39 Westway, Street
Similar to the Dunster initiative, this scheme will modernise six sets of deteriorating traffic signals close to the Clarks Village retail destination in Street.
The project, delivered by council contractor Octavius, represents part of a countywide traffic signal modernisation programme that has already delivered enhancements to multiple junctions across Bridgwater, Shepton Mallet, Taunton and Yeovil. Towards the conclusion of the project, evening or overnight road closures will be required to undertake resurfacing between the Westway roundabout and the Street roundabout on the A39 once these works are completed.
The scheme will include a new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians along the A39 – utilising central government funding that was initially allocated for a comparable project between Carhampton and Dunster.
In late-November, Cllr Wilkins said: “These are a very busy junctions and we are pleased to see this vital work taking place, replacing end of life equipment and ensuring the signals are fit for purpose for the next 30 years.
“We are aware there will be disruption at peak traffic times and during school and college drop-offs and pick-ups, as well as during peak shopping times. The team will be working hard to minimise this.”
COMPLETION DATE: Early-May 2026.
Taunton’s new transport hub
Somerset Council has secured substantial funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the defunct Tower Street facility (which shut in March 2020) with a new transport hub for buses and coaches, forming part of its multi-year bus service improvement plan (BSIP).
In early-December, the council awarded contracts for the scheme, paying its selected contractor £1,946,000 to deliver the majority of construction work on the new hub, which is scheduled to commence operations in late-summer 2026. The new hub will feature six bus stops, each equipped with their own shelter, which are ‘drive in, drive out’ stops – this means buses will not have to reverse out onto Tower Street after picking up passengers.
Two coach stops will also be established along Castle Way (near the Mecca Bingo), providing a transfer point for passengers between the local bus network and nationwide coach journeys. There will be five layover bays, where local buses can park when not in service to prevent congestion in the town centre, and each of the new shelters will include seating and solar panels on their roofs.
The new hub will offer real-time information boards for passengers, an indoor waiting room with toilets, and a changing places toilet facility with a dedicated accessible parking bay. Outside the building, there will be a pedestrianised area with outdoor seating and planting, bicycle parking and new pedestrian crossings to connect the site with Goodlands Gardens and other existing active travel routes.
Robert Downes, the council’s regeneration and major projects officer, said: “The ambition is to open the new transport hub during August 2026, and prior to the annual changes to the autumn and winter bus service timetable, which start in September 2026.
“Our bus services operational plan will consider peak demand periods and how operators will use the bus stops, as well the integration of services with other transport connections.”
The project’s total cost is anticipated to reach £3,762,800, with the entirety of the funding sourced from central government grants.
COMPLETION DATE: August 2026.
Alterations to Bridgwater’s Celebration Mile
Three segments of the Celebration Mile (destined to eventually connect Bridgwater railway station with the Northgate Docks) have been put into effect utilising £9m from the government-supported Bridgwater town deal, incorporating fresh one-way arrangements along Eastover, East Quay and Salmon Parade.
These modifications, combined with the scrapping of improvements to the Cross Rifles roundabout, have resulted in heightened traffic jams across Bridgwater’s road system, sparking significant fury amongst local inhabitants and traders.
Over 5,800 individuals backed a petition (spearheaded by Conservative opposition chief Councillor Diogo Rodrigues) demanding the restoration of two-way traffic along East Quay and Salmon Parade, plus the return of parking bays on Salmon Parade.
After a protracted and heated discussion, the full council voted in Bridgwater on December 17 to conduct a comprehensive examination of these components – a process that will require up to four months to finalise.
The council approved a proposal tabled by Labour group leader Councillor Leigh Redman to implement the following measures:
- restore parking facilities on Salmon Parade “at the earliest opportunity”;
- reassess the flow of one-way traffic on both Salmon Parade and East Quay – whilst “prioritising pedestrian safety” at the junction of Eastover and Town Bridge .
The full council is expected to receive a report and timetable for implementing any changes “within four months”, based on “evidence and engagement with stakeholders”.
Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, described this as “a very sensible way forward” and defended the four-month period needed to thoroughly assess planned changes.
He said: “In order to change anything to the highway, you have to go through a traffic regulation order procedure. They have a minimum amount of time associated with them because, for example, there are elements of public consultation required.
“This isn’t something that, under any legal circumstances, could be changed tomorrow, or next week, or next month – that just simply isn’t possible.
“We’ve only got so far about eight weeks’ worth of data based on the current operation. We need a little bit more than that.”
Proposals for any changes are anticipated to be presented to the full council in late-May 2026 – implying that any work will be conducted over the summer.
COMPLETION DATE: Late-summer 2026.
The Coal Orchard footbridge in Taunton
The existing Coal Orchard footbridge connects with the National Cycle Network route 3, which runs along the north bank of the River Tone and onto the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.
Cyclists aiming to reach the Brewhouse Theatre, Coal Orchard or the wider town centre via the bridge currently have to dismount due to its narrowness, which makes it unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists to share. Under the approved plans, the existing bridge will be replaced with a new one that is four metres wide, in line with the Department for Transport’s guidelines (known as the LTN 120) for allowing pedestrians and cyclists to use the route simultaneously.
The current ramp on the north bank will be substituted with steps, while a longer, more gradual ramp will be built on the other approach.
The bridge’s construction will be primarily funded through the government’s future high streets fund, which granted nearly £14m to Taunton in December 2020 for various enhancements between the town’s railway station and Vivary Park. Most of this funding has already been allocated, with approximately £5m spent on the new Firepool boulevards (set to be completed in the coming weeks) and an undisclosed amount used to build a new crossing on the A38 Upper High Street.
Any additional funds required for the bridge’s construction will be obtained from local housing developments through the community infrastructure levy (CIL).
COMPLETION DATE: Late-summer 2026.
Edithmead roundabout in Highbridge and associated A38 improvements
Somerset Council, in collaboration with North Somerset Council, has secured funding for 10 initiatives aimed at enhancing the A38 between the Edithmead roundabout (near junction 22 of the M5) and Bristol Airport. The goal is to alleviate congestion at critical points, improve travel times to and from the airport, and open up new development sites.
The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed in early July, following the government’s spending review, that it would fund these upgrades, over four years after the proposals were first introduced in June 2021. Out of the 10 schemes initially proposed to the DfT in the outline business case, four fall within Somerset Council’s jurisdiction and six within North Somerset Council’s boundaries.
The four Somerset schemes include:
Upgrading the Edithmead roundabout: this connects Highbridge to junction 22 of the M5, into a ‘throughabout’ and signalising all approaches, similar to the Dunball roundabout upgrade currently underway at junction 23. This ‘through lane’ will extend from the motorway onto the northbound A38 Bristol Road, reducing travel times towards the airport.
Road safety improvements in Rooksbridge: new road markings and potentially traffic calming measures to slow vehicle speeds through the village and enhance pedestrian safety.
The Cross junction overhaul: this congested intersection where the A38 Bridgwater Road meets Old Cross Road in the village of Cross and Cross Lane towards Axbridge and Cheddar will undergo significant changes. The junction will be transformed into a staggered configuration to enhance road safety, requiring the acquisition of land from adjacent property owners.
Enhancing the Strawberry Line crossing: the Strawberry Line active travel pathway presently intersects the A38 at Shute Shelve on the Mendip Hills’ periphery through a staggered ‘sheep-pen’ arrangement. Safety improvements are planned for this crossing point, with the Strawberry Line Society advocating for a replacement footbridge similar to the structure erected over the B3136 West Shepton in Shepton Mallet in October 2024.
Alongside these developments, bus facilities and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure will receive upgrades at multiple points throughout this corridor.
The comprehensive business case for these initiatives was lodged with the DfT prior to Christmas, with the required funding of approximately £16m (covering the Somerset components) anticipated to receive approval by May 2026.
The council’s executive forward plan reveals that a contractor will be selected by late January 2026 to undertake “preparatory works” at the Edithmead roundabout, enabling the complete programme to commence later in 2026.
At present, neither authority has clarified whether several schemes will proceed concurrently or how the works will be phased to minimise traffic disruption.
COMPLETION DATE: TBC
The rural transport hub in Langport
As part of its bus service improvements plan (BSIP), Somerset Council has committed to establishing several transport hubs across Somerset, aiming to enhance the integration between bus services and other modes of transport. The council initially planned to set up a rural transport hub in Somerton, complementing the recently reopened Taunton hub.
However, this £510,000 ‘rural transport hub’ was officially relocated to the neighbouring town of Langport in February after the council’s chosen site in Somerton proved unfeasible. A spokesperson explained at the time: “It was always our intention to have the rural transport hub in Somerton, but unfortunately a range of factors have made this option unworkable.”
They added that “Key was the fact that the proposed area at Market Cross, currently the main bus stop/ interchange for services in the town, is part of the Somerton conservation area and is very close to a scheduled monument.”
This meant that there were severe restrictions on building a structure there, and the external funding available limited the design options.
The spokesperson added that “other locations were considered but were discounted due to logistical or bus operational reasons”.
As a result, the decision was made to consider Langport instead, which is also strategically located within the county, on several key active travel and tourist routes, and just four miles from the original proposed site of the hub.
“Langport is also within our ongoing digital demand responsive transport trial area, an innovative scheme which is proving popular.”
No commencement date has been established for this initiative; nevertheless, construction is anticipated to start within the next 12 years owing to constraints on central government funding.
COMPLETION DATE: TBC
The A358 Staplegrove Road in Taunton
The Staplegrove urban extension will ultimately feature 1,628 homes, commercial space and a new primary school on land between the A358 Staplegrove Road and Taunton Road, at the north-western edge of Somerset’s county town.
To facilitate access to the western portion of the new development (featuring 713 homes and the employment site), the council’s planning committee west approved proposals in late-June to broaden Staplegrove Road to create entry for the new homes and substitute the Silk Mills roundabout with traffic lights.
Highway officials disclosed in late-July that such a project could require more than a year to finish – with construction formally commencing in late-October.
Jon Fellingham, the council’s service manager for highways development management, said in late-July: “We have directed that two-way traffic flow must be maintained as much as possible throughout the work – and that is something which, in fairness, the contractor has worked really hard to do.
“The programme is for about 60 weeks all in. It could be completed in a much shorter window, but this would cause more disruption to traffic flows.”
The current Silk Mills roundabout, which connects the A358 between Taunton and Williton to the A3065 Silk Mills Road towards the park and ride site, will be replaced by a signal-controlled three-way junction.
The westbound A358 will undergo expansion to accommodate additional lanes, as well as shared use pedestrian and cycle paths. This will result in the existing verge and footpath being “consumed”, and some of the existing bank and trees near the Grove Gate and Nash Green estates will need to be removed.
A large retaining wall will be constructed on the southern edge of Staplegrove Road, between the sloped footpaths leading up to Mill Rise and Nash Green respectively, to safeguard both the new highway and the existing properties.
The sloped Nash Green footpath will be retained and improved, with a new set of steep steps and a winding ramp leading up to Mill Rise.
COMPLETION DATE: Late-March 2027.
