Somerset Council is taking action to reduce deaths and serious injuries at a notorious collision site in the county.
Work will be done to replace the existing junction at Whitnell Corner near West Horrington, close to Wells, where the Bath Road B3139 intersects with the B3135, with a new roundabout.
The junction is governed by a national speed limit in all directions, and it has been the scene of 67 collisions over 20 years, including 15 serious incidents and one fatality in 2019. Between 2019-2024 alone there were 22 collisions, including the fatal incident and three serious collisions.
The council’s contractor Octavius Regional Civil Engineering is due to start work on the £4 million scheme at the end of April. Because of the scope of the project, it is not possible to keep the road open during the works, which are expected to last six months, completing in the autumn. The money comes from Government capital grant funding allocated for road safety schemes.
There will be a full 24/7 road closure at the junction and diversions will be in place during this time.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste Services said:
This difficult junction has been identified as a priority for some time, but with a project of this size we have needed to plan for the impact and necessary closure and identify funding to deliver it.
I’m really pleased to see this happening – the statistics show we need to get this work done. We understand there will be disruption while our contractor does the work, and that will involve local businesses. We have been working with these to ensure we minimise any impact as much as possible.
At the end of the day this scheme is vital to ensure the chance of death or serious injury on this junction is significantly reduced.
Roads Policing Inspector Matt Boiles of Avon and Somerset Police said:
Our officers have attended a number of serious collisions at this junction, so we’re pleased to see plans progressing to improve safety here.
Alongside education and enforcement, safer road design is essential in reducing risk and preventing people from being killed or seriously injured.
Find out more about Somerset Council’s Road Safety Team here, as well as advice and tips on staying safe on the road.
