Strategy to improve traffic flow in Bridgwater includes new northern bypass

Bridgwater could get a new northern bypass to improve traffic flow and the M5 could become a 'smart motorway' in Somerset - but it may not happen until 2032 at the earliest.

Sedgemoor District Council has approved a strategy which lays out the future transport needs of the district up to 2050.

As well as numerous improvements to Bridgwater's road network, the strategy includes ideas for upgrading the 'magic roundabout' in Cheddar, a link road for Burnham-on-Sea's eastern edge, and rail improvements to make it easier to get from Bridgwater to London inside of two hours.

The strategy was approved by councillors at a full council meeting in Bridgwater on July 31. It will now be taken forward to Somerset County Council to adopt it as part of its official transport policy.

The strategy (which covers the period between 2032 and 2050) is designed to take account of both additional housing growth in the district and other significant changes - such as new forms of transportation or people living longer.

A district council spokesperson said: "Changing travel demand arising from changes in the economy, transport, technology and population, coupled with development, means that without transport investment journey time reliability will deteriorate, and total journey times particularly in towns will increase as demand at junctions reach and exceed their capacity."

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Here are all the major schemes which are proposed for the Bridgwater area:

Northern bypass: This will take traffic away from the town centre and reduce congestion coming into Bridgwater from the north (especially from Junction 23 and the A38). The route could link up with the A39 near Cannington, and will "enable road space within the town to be re-evaluated".
Park and Ride sites: re-purposing the existing Hinkley Point C park and ride sites will allow both the town centre and key business parks to be served by fast, regular and reliable bus services, as well as taking pressure off the town centre's car parks
Improved pedestrian and cycling routes: Bridgwater's "relatively compact layout and flat terrain" lends itself to walking and cycling, with the council seeking to provide more routes to encourage more people to use these methods of transport for commuting and tourism purposes
Taunton Road and Broadway junction: this junction was upgraded in 2015/16 using funds from EDF Energy, but further work is needed to ease congestion onto Taunton Road. Whether it can be achieved depends on the amount of available space on the site
Northgate and The Clink: with the council's regeneration of the Northgate site moving forward, further work on this junction could be needed to ensure traffic flows continue to improve as the number of visitors rises
Bristol Road/ Wylds Road: once this brownfield site is redevelopment, a new roundabout will replace the existing junction rather than adding an additional access road to the existing set-up.
Cross Rifles roundabout: the council is working with the county council to "progress detailed designs" for this site, with a view to improving pedestrian safety as well as cutting congestion and journey times
Western Way and Chilton Street: Further upgrades to the traffic signals will be needed to accommodate extras vehicles from housing growth and children from the nearby Chilton Trinity School
Whitegate roundabout: while short-term improvements to the pedestrian crossings here are already in the pipeline, the roundabout could be replaced in the long run with a signalised junction to "improve its overall function and reliability" for all road users

Overview of possible transport schemes for Bridgwater (Image: Sedgemoor District Council)

Minor safety improvements could also be made at the junction between the A39 Bath Road and Bower Lane, as well as the A372 Westonzoyland Road at the other end of Bower Lane.

Two major schemes are planned for Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea:

North Burnham access road: this will take traffic away from the town centre towards the holiday destinations of Brean and Berrow, linking up with Love Lane and Stoddens Lane. It will also unlock land for housing to the north of Burnham-on-Sea
Improved cycle link to Berrow: a cycling link between Burnham-on-Sea and Berrow will be completed to encourage more people to walk and cycle, not only to local destinations but to connect up with existing routes to Weston-super-Mare to the north

Overview of Highbridge and Burnham on Sea schemes (Image: Sedgemoor District Council)

In Axbridge and Cheddar, the following schemes will be prioritised:

The 'magic roundabout': the infamous junction between the A371, B3135 Axbridge Road and Shipham Road - regularly used by quarrying lorries - will be realigned to improve traffic flow and make it safer for local pedestrians
Lower New Road junction: the junction, where the A371 meets the B3151, will be enhancements to improve the flow of vehicles and make it safer for all classes of road users
Parking review: a new car park or shuttle bus site could be provided to alleviate pressure on the town during the summer, when large number of tourists visit Cheddar Gorge
Improved cycling routes: while the Strawberry Line provides good cycle links between the two settlements, there is not enough "segregated infrastructure" at either end to encourage onward journeys by cycle or on foot

Overview of Axbridge and Cheddar schemes (Image: Sedgemoor District Council)

In North Petherton, work will be done to see whether on-street parking can be better managed or even reduced to mitigate congestion on the A38.

The council will also be pushing for district-wide road improvements, including:

Making the M5 a 'smart' motorway: the council is working with Highways England to phase in smart motorway technology onto the M5 - which can be used to reduce congestion, cut delays and increase capacity at crucial times of the day
Junction 22: Highways England wishes to put traffic signals on the A38 approaches to Junction 22, as well as delivering a new dedicated left-turn lane for traffic leaving the M5. A new 'dumbbell' roundabout could be introduced to increase capacity
Junction 23: more capacity will be provided on the existing junctions, with addition traffic signalling being installed on the A39 at Dunball to improve traffic flow in light of housing growth
Junction 24: the existing roundabout will be widened, with the line markings improved and the existing signals being upgraded to "support freer flowing traffic" and encourage development of the local area
More electric charging points: the council will increase the number of charging points across the district to enable the switch to electric vehicles in light of petrol and diesel cars being banned from 2040

M5 Junction 26 3.35pm — The council is working with Highways England to phase in smart motorway technology onto the M5

In addition to numerous road improvements, the council aims to improve rail services across the district through the following initiatives:'

'London in Two': to attract more high-skilled jobs to the area, journey times between Sedgemoor and London have to be cut. Through "improved timetable integration", rail services from Bridgwater and Highbridge can link up more easily with fast GWR trains from Taunton, meaning passengers can get to London in two hours or less
Mass transit link to Bristol Airport: working with its partners in Bristol and North Somerset, the council is backing a project to provide a new rail/bus link between the airport and Worle railway station. The currently Hinkley Point C park and ride site could be re-purposed to provide additional local parking for this facility
Direct rail link to the Gravity site: A direct rail link could be provided between the Gravity employment site and Highbridge and Burnham railway station, providing a sustainable commuting option for the 4,000-plus people expected to work there
Enhancement to stations and rail stock: improvements will be made to the district's two railway station to improve customer experience and handle increasing demand. The council will also push for increased train capacity, with more tables, plug sockets and improved WiFi in each carriage

A spokesperson said: "The strategy is a long-term document and these options within it are only part of a long-list of possible proposals from 2032 onwards.

"There are currently no plans nor funding in place to support any of these schemes, but the strategy is intended to attract funding.

"Much will also depend upon future growth options for the district and the proportion of new homes and employment that might be located across Sedgemoor post-2032."