8 major transport projects which could transform Somerset in 2026
Key roadworks and transport projects set to test Somerset drivers throughout 2026
Somerset residents have had to contend with their fair share of roadworks throughout the course of 2025 – and 2026 looks like it will be no different.
Whether it’s the delivery of the Dunball ‘throughabout’ in Bridgwater, the upgrade of the ‘concrete carriageway’ in Wellington, or Chard’s lengthy gas and waste water upgrades, Somerset motorists have spent a considerable part of their daily commute sitting in jams, battling temporary traffic lights or cursing lengthy diversions.
As we move into 2026, drivers are preparing to get back on the road, whether it’s the first commute back after the Christmas break, a lengthy lorry drive or making a series of deliveries to households the length and breadth of our beloved county.
But there will be plenty more roadworks with which we have to contend over the next 12 months – and hopefully at least some of them will lead to our local road network improving.
Here are eight major schemes which will befall Somerset over 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 begin work on Monday (January 5) to replace the 30-year-old lights, arguing that allowing the lights to fail before repairs could cause “major disruption”.
“Intelligent temporary traffic lights” will be in place throughout the works, which are expected to last until the end of April 2026.
The work involves significant excavation to remove and upgrade all the old ducting and wiring, as well as the traffic light heads.
The work will be carried out by Centregreat, which recently completed work on the £10.7m upgrade of the Dunball roundabout near junction 23 of the M5.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, stated 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.
“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
Like the Dunster scheme, this project will replace six sets of ageing traffic signals near the Clarks Village shopping centre in Street.
This project (carried out by council contractor Octavius) forms part of a county-wide programme of traffic signal upgrades, which previously saw improvements to numerous junctions in Bridgwater, Shepton Mallet, Taunton and Yeovil.
Towards the end of the work, evening or overnight road closures will be needed to carry out resurfacing between the Westway roundabout and the Street roundabout on the A39 at the conclusion of these works.
As part of the scheme, a new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians will be created along the A39 – using central government funding which was originally earmarked for a similar scheme between Carhampton and Dunster.
Cllr Wilkins stated in late-November: “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 received significant funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the redundant Tower Street facility (which closed in March 2020) with a new transport hub for buses and coaches, as part of its multi-year bus service improvement plan (BSIP).
The council awarded the contracts for the project in early-December, paying its chosen bidder £1,946,000 to deliver the bulk of construction on the new hub, which will officially enter service in the late-summer of 2026.
The new hub will include six bus stops, each with their own shelter, which are ‘drive in, drive out’ stops – meaning buses will not have to reverse out onto Tower Street after they have picked up passengers.
Two coach stops will also be provided along Castle Way (near the Mecca Bingo), providing an interchange for passengers between the local bus network and the nationwide coach journeys.
There will be five layover bays, where local buses can be parked when not in active service to prevent them clogging up the town centre, and each of the new shelters will include seating and solar panels on their roofs.
The new hub will have 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 will be a pedestrianised area with outdoor seating and planting, with bicycle parking and new pedestrian crossings to link 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 full cost of the project is expected to be £3,762,800, with all the funding coming from ventral government grants.
COMPLETION DATE: August 2026
Changes to the Celebration Mile in Bridgwater
Three sections of the Celebration Mile (which will eventually run from Bridgwater railway station to the Northgate Docks) have been implemented using £9m from the government-backed Bridgwater town deal, including new one-way systems along Eastover, East Quay and Salmon Parade.
These changes, coupled with the cancellation of upgrades to the Cross Rifles roundabout, have led to increased congestion on Bridgwater’s road network, generating considerable anger among local residents and businesses.
More than 5,800 people signed a petition (organised by Conservative opposition leader Councillor Diogo Rodrigues) to reinstate two-way traffic on East Quay and Salmon Parade, and to restore the parking spaces on Salmon Parade.
Following a lengthy and rowdy debate, the full council voted in Bridgwater on December 17 to carry out a full review of these elements – which will take up to four months to complete.
The council voted on a motion put forward by Labour group leader Councillor Leigh Redman to undertake the following actions:
Reinstate parking on Salmon Parade “at the earliest opportunity”
Review the direction of one-way traffic on both Salmon Parade and East Quay – while “prioritising pedestrian safety” at the junction of Eastover and Town Bridge
Return to the full council “within four months” with a report and timetable for implementing any changes, which will be based on “evidence and engagement with stakeholders”
Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, said this was “a very sensible way forward” and defended the need to take four months to assess planned changed in detail.
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 expected to come before the full council in late-May 2026 – meaning any work will be carried out over the summer.
COMPLETION DATE: Late-summer 2026
The Coal Orchard footbridge in Taunton
The existing Coal Orchard footbridge links up 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 wishing to use the bridge to reach the Brewhouse Theatre, Coal Orchard or the wider town centre currently have to dismount, since it is too narrow for pedestrians and cyclists to safely share the same space.
Under the agreed proposals, the existing bridge will be removed and replaced with a new bridge which is four metres wide – meeting the Department for Transport’s guidelines for how much room is needed to allow pedestrians and cyclists to use the route at the same time (known as the LTN 120).
The existing ramp on the north bank will be replaced with steps, with a longer, shallower ramp being constructed on the other approach.
The bridge will be largely funded through the government’s future high streets fund, with Taunton receiving nearly £14m in December 2020 for various improvements between the town’s railway station and Vivary Park.
The majority of this funding has already been allocated, with around £5m being spent on delivering the new Firepool boulevards (which will conclude in the coming weeks) and an undisclosed sum being used to construct a new crossing on the A38 Upper High Street.
Any additional funding needed to construct the bridge will be sourced from local housing developments via the community infrastructure levy (CIL).
COMPLETION DATE: Late-summer 2026
Edithmead roundabout upgrade in Highbridge (and associated A38 improvements)
Somerset Council has been working with North Somerset Council to secure funding for ten schemes to improve the A38 between the Edithmead roundabout (near junction 22 of the M5) and Bristol Airport, in a bid to cut congestion at key pinch points, improve journey times to and from the airport and unlock new development sites.
The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed in early-July (shortly after the government’s spending review) that it would provide funding for these upgrades, just over four years after the proposals first saw the light of day in June 2021.
Of the ten schemes which were originally put forward to the DfT in the outline business case, four lie within Somerset Council’s boundaries and six within the boundaries of North Somerset Council.
The four Somerset schemes are as follows:
Upgrading the Edithmead roundabout: this roundabout, which links Highbridge to junction 22 of the M5, will be turned into a ‘throughabout’ and signalised from all approaches (along the lines of the Dunball roundabout upgrade currently being implemented at junction 23). The ‘through lane’ will run from the motorway onto the northbound A38 Bristol Road, cutting journey times towards the airport
Rooksbridge road safety improvements: new road markings and possibly traffic calming measures will be put in place to slow traffic speeds through the village and improve pedestrian safety
Redesigning the Cross junction: this busy junction sees the A38 Bridgwater Road join Old Cross Road into the small village of Cross and Cross Lane towards Axbridge and Cheddar. The junction will be remodelled into a staggered junction to improve road safety, with some land being purchased from neighbouring landowners
Improving the Strawberry Line crossing: the Strawberry Line active travel route currently crosses the A38 at Shute Shelve, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, via a staggered ‘sheep-pen’-style crossing. This crossing will be improved to make it safer – with the Strawberry Line Society pushing for it to be replaced with a new footbridge, similar to one installed over the B3136 West Shepton in Shepton Mallet back in October 2024
Along with these improvements, bus stops and walking and cycling facilities will be improved at various locations along this route.
The final business case for the projects was submitted to the DfT before Christmas – with the necessary funding of around £16m (for the Somerset elements) expected to be approved by May 2026.
The council’s executive forward plan indicates that a contractor will be appointed by late-January 2026 to deliver “preparatory works” to the Edithmead roundabout, allowing the full scheme to begin later the same year.
Neither council has indicated at this stage whether multiple schemes will be carried out simultaneously, or how the work will otherwise be staggered to reduce congestion.
COMPLETION DATE: TBC
The rural transport hub in Langport
As part of its bus service improvements plan (BSIP), Somerset Council pledged to deliver a number of transport hubs across Somerset, creating greater integration between bus services and other forms of transportation.
The council originally intended to deliver a rural transport hub in Somerton to complement the reopened Taunton hub.
But this £510,000 ‘rural transport hub’ was officially shifted in February to the neighbouring town of Langport after the council’s chosen site in Somerton could not be successfully delivered.
A spokesperson said 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.
“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 means there are severe restrictions on building a structure here, and the external funding we have at our disposal means the design options are limited.
“Other locations were considered but were discounted due to logistical or bus operational reasons.
“Therefore, a decision was taken to explore Langport instead, which is also strategically situated within the county, on a number of 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 start date for this scheme has been set; however, work is expected to begin within the next 12 year due to restrictions on central government funding.
COMPLETION DATE: TBC
The A358 Staplegrove Road in Taunton
The Staplegrove urban extension will eventually comprise 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 unlock the western half of the new development (comprising 713 homes and the employment site), the council’s planning committee west voted in late-June to approve plans to widen Staplegrove Road to create the access for the new homes and replace the Silk Mills roundabout with traffic lights.
Highway officers revealed in late-July that such a scheme could take more than a year to complete – with work officially getting under way in late-October.
Jon Fellingham, the council’s service manager for highways development management, stated 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 existing Silk Mills roundabout (which links the A358 between Taunton and Williton to the A3065 Silk Mills Road, towards the park and ride site) will be replaced by a signalised three-way junction.
The westbound A358 will be widened to provide additional lanes, along with shared use pedestrian and cycle paths – with the existing verge and footpath will be “consumed” and some of the existing bank and trees near the Grove Gate and Nash Green estates needing to be removed.
To protect both the new highway and the existing properties, a large retaining wall will be built on the southern edge of Staplegrove Road, between the sloped footpaths leading up to Mill Rise and Nash Green respectively.
The sloped Nash Green footpath will remain in place and be enhanced, with a new set of steep steps and twisting ramp leading up to Mill Rise.
COMPLETION DATE: Late-March 2027