Date revealed for major A38 road improvements

The improvements have a combined authority funding allocation of about £30m

A multi-million pound improvement scheme for a major road leading to a city airport could begin construction in June 2026, according to council reports.

Somerset Council has been working with North Somerset Council to secure funding for 10 schemes to improve the A38 between Highbridge and Bristol Airport in a bid to cut congestion.

The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed in July it would provide funding for the upgrades, just over four years after the proposals were first raised in 2021.

Since this announcement, the councils have been working on the final business cases, which must be submitted to and approved by the Treasury before more than £26m of funding can be released.

North Somerset Council has now indicated that the work could begin in June 2026 if this approval is forthcoming – with Somerset Council stating it is "working to the same submission and delivery dates" as its counterpart.

Improvements would be made to the A38 between the Edithmead roundabout and Bristol Airport

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, of the 10 schemes, four lie within Somerset Councils' boundaries.

• Upgrading the Edithmead roundabout (near junction 22 of the M5) to turn it into a 'throughabout'

• Rooks Bridge road safety improvements, with new road markings and possibly traffic calming measures put in place

• Redesigning the Cross junction which sees the A38 Bridgwater Road join Old Cross Road. The junction will be remodelled to improve road safety.

• Improving the Strawberry Line crossing to make it safer

Along with these improvements, bus stops and walking and cycling facilities will be improved at various locations along the route.

North Somerset Council has appointed Octavius to undertake design and build of its schemes

The other six projects lay within the boundaries of North Somerset Council:

• Widening the footway on the A38 Bristol Road between the A371 and Hillyfields in Sidcot

• Constructing a segregated cycle track in Langford between the B3133 and A368

• Delivering a shared use path between the Airport Terminal roundabout and Silver Zone roundabout, with the carriageway being widened to provide bus lanes and dedicated turning lanes

• Upgrading the shared use path between the Airport Terminal roundabout and West Lane in Lulsgate Bottom, with a signalised crossing over the A38

• Constructing a shared used path on the northern side of the A38 between Barrow Lane and Dial Lane in Barrow Gurney, with an existing uncontrolled crossing being widened

• Revising the layout of the Barrow Street junction near the Barrow Gurney Reservoirs, including the northbound bus stop lay-by

A full council meeting held in Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday heard the final business case is expected to be submitted to the DfT in December, with a decision being expected by the end of March 2026.

Neither council has indicated at this stage whether multiple schemes will be carried out simultaneously, or how the work will otherwise be staggered to reduce congestion.

Rebecca Kinnersley-Fowler, from North Somerset Council, said current capital programme has a combined authority scheme funding allocation of almost £31m.

North Somerset Council has appointed Octavius to undertake the design and build five of its projects, while Somerset Council has yet to appoint its own contractor.

A Somerset Council spokesperson said: "Once submitted, any timeline will depend upon approvals from central government."