Somerset County Council has urged drivers using the detour road around the ongoing closure of the A38 and Toneway outside Taunton not to pass through a village by the side of the detour road.
Work on the key Creech Castle junction started on Monday last week (August 9) is now fully in place with the A38 Bridgwater Road North closed from the junction just before the ALDI supermarket.
Work is expected to continue until next year, with an end date of July 8, 2022 announced by Somerset County Council.
READ MORE: A38 and Toneway closed: that’s what it will cost to keep Taunton Park & Ride free for a year of road works
The work diversion road uses the recently completed Western Relief Road which bypasses the village of Monkton Heathfield outside of Taunton.
However, it appears that some of the traffic bypassing the works takes a route through the village instead of the new road, causing congestion problems in the village.
Somerset County Council called on drivers not to pass through the village, saying it was “faster and smoother” to stick to the Western Relief Road.
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The latest work update posted by Travel Somerset, the council’s travel and transport page, said in its posts: “Please avoid Monkton Heathfield – it is faster and nicer for residents of use the bypass. “
A range of new developments are planned for Monkton Heathfield in the near future, with some proposals already submitted to Somerset West and Taunton Council.
These include a development of 40 houses on a brownfield site north of West Monkton Church of England primary school and a new mix of community facilities for people living in Monkton Heathfield on the former site Land Rover on Bridgwater Road.
The council’s webpage with details and updates on the project indicated that impending developments in the village are one of the main reasons the work is being undertaken.
He says: “Key issues include limited stacking space for vehicles turning right onto the A38 Bridgwater Road towards Monkton Heathfield.
The existing and proposed layout of the Creech Castle junction on the Toneway (Image: Somerset County Council / Alun Griffiths Ltd)
“There are also queues at the northern and southern edges of Bridgwater Road.
“The junction has no capacity for future development allowed at Monkton Heathfield and is very poor for pedestrians and cyclists.”
Development of the village is also important in the decision to improve pedestrian and cycle access around the junction, according to the council.
Alongside our brand new site for all of Taunton, there are:
Decision to create a new parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists to replace the existing overhead walkway is included in the work, with the council’s information page stating that improved arrangements for those who do not drive are made more important by the planned development of Monkton Heathfield.
The page says: “A key objective of this program is to encourage walking and cycling by reducing the separation from the A358 Toneway – something which will become more important with planned development in the Monkton Heathfield area.
“The current walkway is not suitable for cyclists due to the width and height of the parapet, and its location some distance from the junction acts as a barrier for pedestrians. Traffic surveys show that a number considerable cyclists use the junction but only half use the bridge, the rest choosing to use the road.
“This scheme is able to improve as much as possible the facilities for pedestrians and cyclists within the limits of the constraints without impacting the flow of traffic.”
Have you encountered any problems in Monkton Heathfield or around the works on the A38? Contact me at jack.colwill@reachplc.com if you have a story to tell.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-16 04:00:00
