A £5M upgrade to a vital road linking Wellington to the M5 could finally begin in the spring of 2025, Somerset Council has hinted.

Somerset County Council received nearly £5m from the Department for Transport (DfT) back in July 2020 to upgrade and resurface the roundabout at junction 26 and the Chelston Link Road to Wellington - which is known locally as the ‘concrete carriageway’.

The scheme has been repeatedly delayed since this announcement, with the council’s highways officers seeking to ensure the upgrade does not clash with other major improvements to the M5 being carried out by National Highways.

Somerset Council (which replaced the county council in April 2023) has now hinted that the scheme could finally get under way in the spring of 2025, having completed all of the necessary design work.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, provided an update before the full council met in Bridgwater on Wednesday, December 18.

Mr Wilkins (who represents the Curry Rivel and Langport division) said in his written report: “Design work for a DfT-funded project that will treat thefailing circulatory and the A38 Chelston link road is now complete.

“The concrete carriageway, installed in the 1970s, has reached the end of its design life and needs to be replaced. Improvements to the existing drainage infrastructure are also proposed.

“The team has worked closely with National Highways to agree a high-level delivery strategy.

“Subject to approvals, a window for construction has been identified from the spring of 2025. Discussions are under way with our preferred contractor to plan the works.”

Papers published in February indicated that £4,610,000 of the original grant remains available for the project – with the remainder having been expended on the design work and other preliminary matters.

The council’s official roadworks portal lists that work will be carried out on the link road and the slip roads around junction 26 between April 1 and September 27, 2025 – though these dates are subject to change.

A council spokesman said: “This is still a work in progress and we will publish more details when we have a confirmed programme.”

It was reported by the Wellington Weekly News in May how the funding for the ‘concrete carriageway’ scheme is ring-fenced, meaning it cannot be reallocated either for other transport projects or day-to-day spending on maintaining Somerset’s wider road network.

Since the funding was originally awarded, numerous major developments along or near the ‘concrete carriageway’ have been approved or developed, ranging from the creation of a new business park and associated wetlands to the east of the road to the development of a new KFC drive-thru within the nearby Westpark 26 employment zone, which is also expanding.

A council spokesman said at the time: “It is our intention to undertake construction in mid-2025 having regard to works planned elsewhere on the strategic highway network.

For more information on this and other roadworks in your area, visit www.somerset.gov.uk/roads-travel-and-parking/roadworks-and-travel.