Lower speed limit proposed for Frome bypass
Consultation launched as council aims to reduce serious road collisions
Somerset Council is progressing plans to reduce the speed limit on the A361 Frome bypass, following a series of fatal accidents over the past five years.
Proposals include lowering the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph, as well as engineering improvements, to address safety concerns on the well-travelled road.
AI cameras, installed last year, are already monitoring factors such as speed, seatbelt usage, and mobile phone activity.
A public consultation will begin this week to gather feedback on the speed limit proposal. The plan aligns with scheduled resurfacing work at the junction, expected to take place between 7th May and 20th May, with evening closures planned during this period.
Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste, Councillor Richard Wilkins, spoke on the initiative: "We are developing further plans for making this road safer with an improved road surface, and measures to reduce traffic speeds through the proposed speed limit and introduction of central hatching to reduce the road width, where feasible.
We are also looking at carrying out a significant vegetation cutback to help further improve the visibility at the junction.
The road markings will be more visible and make a slight noise warning when driven over.
We share the concerns of the community about the number of incidents on this stretch of road.
Driver behaviour contributes to around 90 per cent of serious road collisions we would urge all drivers – if you are getting behind the wheel of a car please act responsibly."
Once launched, the consultation aims to address local concerns and resolve any objections before implementing the reduced speed limit and associated improvements.