Taunton £21m road completion date delayed

The beams over the river and canal were lowered into place earlier

The completion date for a new road in Taunton has been delayed.

The £21m road, which will link the west and east of the town, was supposed to be finished by March.

However, last winter's heavy rain meant contractors could not start building a bridge over the River Tone and the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.

Richard Needs, from Somerset County Council, said it had also encountered other challenges during the project.

'Best foundations'

He said work to lift an existing bridge over Station Road had to be delayed as workers had found the ground conditions softer than expected.

"It's not a question of moving the bridge, it's working out what are the best foundations for the new bridge to be," Mr Needs said.

"As with all construction projects there are very difficult times and there are happy times... it changes from day-to-day but overall we're making good progress and we're getting there eventually."

The one-mile-long (1.6km) road is designed to divert traffic around the north of the town and will run from Priory Bridge Road, over the river and canal, alongside the railway to Staplegrove Road.

It is hoped the new road will divert traffic away from the town centre and Priorswood Road and help with the regeneration of the Firepool area.