Start date set for work on new £4m roundabout

The start date has been confirmed for a £4m project to build a roundabout at a crash-prone junction.

The Whitnell Corner junction between the B3135 and the B3139 Bath Road, near Wells, which has a 60mph speed limit, has been the scene of 67 collisions in the last 20 years.

Somerset Council previously said announced a 27 April start date for the scheme, but it was postponed to allow "some final adjustments" to be made to the designs.

It said work was now set to get under way on 15 June with the junction being closed in all directions until the autumn.

The scheme will be carried out by Octavius.

The delayed start was due to a change in the shape of the soak-away and nearby pond, which will protect the future roundabout from localised flooding, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

Funding for the scheme will come from central government grants.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said in late-March when the scheme was first announced: "I'm really pleased to see this happening – the statistics show we need to get this work done.

"At the end of the day, this scheme is vital to ensure the chance of death or serious injury on this junction is significantly reduced."

Due to the intensive nature of the construction, the junction itself will be closed throughout the improvement work.

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