J26 upgrade set to start in 2023
Work is set to start within the next year
A much-needed upgrade to a key road linking the M5 to a Somerset town will finally begin in the spring of 2023.
Somerset County Council received nearly £5M from the Department for Transport in July 2020 towards a scheme which will improve the roundabout at junction 26 and the Chelston Link Road to Wellington.
Work on the link road – dubbed the ‘concrete carriageway’ – was originally due to begin in early-2022, but was delayed due to “a number of complexities” surrounding the design of the scheme.
The council has now confirmed work on the road will begin in the spring – with the work being done by the same contractor who will deliver improvements to the Dunball roundabout near Bridgwater.
The DfT committed £4.7M towards the scheme as part of a £100M UK-wide programme of road improvements, with the council providing a further £1M from its capital programme.
The original concrete surface of the carriageway, which was constructed in 1974, is “showing signs of deterioration” with frequent cracks and potholes.
Under the scheme -which is currently in the detailed design phase – the surface will be completely relayed, with all the old material being safety removed and recycled.
Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for transport and digital, said: “We’re really pleased to appoint Balfour Beatty to carry out this important scheme – regular users of this route will be familiar with the old concrete carriageway.
“It’s reached the end of its working life and this scheme will see the old surface removed and renewed, ensuring it is fit for purpose for decades to come.”
Balfour Beatty has taken on a number of major infrastructure projects within Somerset, including the clearing of the Saxonvale brownfield site in Frome and supplying concrete components for the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station
The company was appointed by the council in March to deliver a £5.2M to replace the existing Dunball roundabout with a ‘throughabout’, enabling a faster and smoother flow of traffic between Bridgwater town centre and junction 23 of the M5.
This project is expected to get under way in early-2023 following central government’s recent approval of a £400,000 contribution from the Bridgwater town deal.