Somerset motorists face major diversions this summer
It's for Langport railway bridge to be repaired.
Somerset motorists face a hefty diversion at the height of summer to allow repairs to be carried out to an important railway bridge.
The Langport railway bridge forms part of the Taunton to Castle Cary line, crossing over the A378 Moor Close near the boundary between Langport and the neighbouring village of Huish Episcopi.
The bridge, which was reconstructed in the 1970s, requires urgent work to strengthen it, with Network Rail intending to add additional steel to the under side and repaint the entire structure.
To achieve this, Network Rail intends to close the A378 for almost the entire month of August – with two further short closures planned in September.
During these times, motorists wishing to reach Langport from the east (or Somerton from the west) will be diverted all the way to Taunton and Othery – adding up to 27 miles to their journey.
The bridge currently carries Great Western Railway (GWR) services on the Taunton to London Paddington Line (via Castle Cary, Bruton and Frome) – with co-operatively owned operator Go-op expected to begin additional services on the line from December 2025, which will run as far as Swindon and Weston-super-Mare.
In addition to strengthening the bridge with additional steelwork, the structure will be grit-blasted, cleaned, given a new coat of paint and fitted with new anti-collision markings (to deter lorries and other large vehicles).
Network Rail principal portfolio manager Dan Parkes said: “The bridge has now reached an age where we need to carry out essential repairs to make sure rail passengers and road users can continue to travel over and under it safely.
“We appreciate the road closure will be inconvenient for the residents of Langport; however it’s essential and unavoidable to undertake this vital work.
“We’ve worked closely with the town and county councils to plan the timing, avoiding the school term-time and the busy run-up to Christmas.
“We’ll make sure that pedestrians can continue to walk underneath to reach local amenities while the work is being carried out.”
In order to carry out this work safely, Network Rail is proposing to close this section of the A378 entirely – though the fine details of the closure may change following discussions with local residents at a public drop-in event in Langport on Wednesday evening (June 11).
Under the current proposals, the road will be closed between August 4 and 31, with a full diversion being in force around the clock – and pedestrian access being maintained throughout.
During this time, motorists wishing to access Langport from the east will be diverted onto the A372 as far as Othery, following the A361 via Burrowbridge to the outskirts of Taunton and then taking the A38 around the Monkton Heathfield urban extension.
They will then take the A358 at Creech Castle south out of Taunton and rejoin the A378 at the Mattocks Tree Green junction before heading east via Curry Rivel – adding up to 27 miles to their journey.
Those wishing to access Somerton and other settlements from the west will have to follow the same diversion in reverse.
Between September 1 and September 12, the road will be open to traffic, but three-way temporary traffic lights will be in force at night.
There will be further full road closures on the weekends of September 13 and 14 and September 20 and 21, with the same diversion being in place.
Morgan Sindall project manager Karl Butler said: “To keep the duration of the project as short as we can, we’ll be working around the clock so that those living close to the bridge are inconvenienced for the least time possible.
“Inevitably, work of this nature will create noise and disturbance, but we will minimise disruption as much as possible throughout the project by using the most efficient machinery and we’ll be closely monitoring the site for noise and dust.”