SEVERAL main roads in western Taunton will be partially or fully closed over the next six months to allow for the local gas supply to be upgraded.
Wales & West Utilities (WWU) will be upgrading the gas mains around Bishop’s Hull Road and the A3065 Silk Mills Road over a six-month period from March 31, replacing the existing metal pipes with plastic ones to future-proof the network for both local residents and businesses.
In order to implement these improvements (at a cost of £357,000), several road closures will be in place across two phases between late-March and September.
Motorists are advised during this time to allow more time for their journeys, including those using the Silk Mills park and ride site to the north.
The upgrade programme will see similar improvements to those currently being implemented in Chard, with the obsolete metal pipes being removed and replaced with long-lasting plastic ones.
In addition to ensuring a more reliable supply to current customers, this will allow the network to carry alternative fuels, such as hydrogen or biomethane, in the decades to come.
Full details of the road closures were confirmed before a public drop-in session held at the Robin Close Communal Hall on Wednesday afternoon (March 12).
Phase one (which runs from March 31 to June 30) will focus around Bishop’s Hull Road – specifically the section between Shutewater Hill (near St. Peter & St. Paul’s Church) and the A38 Wellington New Road (not far from the Stonegallows pub).
This section of Bishop’s Hull Road will be closed throughout this period, with motorists being diverted onto Bishop’s Hull Hill and the A3065 Silk Mills Road, which rejoins the A38 at the Wellington New Road roundabout near Taunton Crematorium.
Additional work will be carried out on Orchard Drive between April 21 and May 4, and two-way traffic lights will be in force on the A38 between May 27 and June 13 – with part of Comeytrowe Lane also being closed during this time.
Phase two (from June 16 to mid-September) will shift the focus to Mountway Road, which links Silk Mills Road to the A38 Wellington Road near St. Mary’s Cemetery.
There will be directional closures on Silk Mills Road throughout this period, with the junction with Mountway Road being shut between July 28 and August 17 (though access will be maintained for local residents).
Waterfield Drive will be closed between August 18 and September 7, with lane closures being in force on Wellington New Road during this period.
Each of these dates is subject to change, with WWU hoping to complete each phase more rapidly if weather conditions and other factors allow.
For more information about these and other roadworks in your area, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/roadworks-and-travel.