Somerset 'concrete carriageway' M5 repairs delayed until 2023

Plans to improve a road known as a 'concrete carriageway' have been delayed.

The repairs to Junction 26 of the M5 and the link road to Wellington, Somerset, were due to begin this year.

But Somerset County Council said the £5m project to tackle structural repairs and drainage had hit "complexities".

The council's leader has described the Chelston Link Road to Wellington as a stretch that makes cars "rattle".

Funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) towards the Junction 26 scheme was approved in July 2020.

A county council spokesperson said it is "continuing to work with contractors" to solve the current setbacks.

"This is a significant project involving a number of complexities," they said.

"Exploring innovative processes, we believe will be much more efficient for delivering the improvements required."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council now expects construction work to start in 2023.

Somerset County Council leader David Fothergill said in May 2021 that the plans were part of a county-wide push to improve infrastructure.

"If you've ever driven the 'concrete carriageway', you will be absolutely delighted that we're finally going to be able to sort out the loud noise that rattles your car as you go along that stretch of road," he said.

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