No Bridgwater Cross Rifles roundabout upgrade until 2025

The Cross Rifles roundabout in Bridgwater is described as narrow and frequently congested

A frequently congested road junction is not set to be upgraded until 2025, a council has admitted.

The delay is down to the need to buy up land, Somerset Council said, after securing £10m in government cash in 2021 for the Cross Rifles roundabout.

One of the busiest junctions in Bridgwater, it links the A38 from Bristol and Taunton to the A39.

A revamp of the town's Dunball roundabout has begun, but work at Cross Rifles won't start for 18 months.

The roundabout, which links to one of Bridgwater's busiest commercial sites and leads into the town centre, is narrow, with limited walking and cycling provision, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The A38 Broadway - which leads into the roundabout from the south - is currently being upgraded, with work on the £1.7m scheme expected to finish in the next few days.

'Cut journey times'

Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, shadow portfolio holder for transport and digital, said he was "hugely disappointed" about the delay.

"The scheme is meant to create additional capacity for traffic, cutting journey times and congestion and boost the transport connectivity in and around Bridgwater," he said.

Mr Rodrigues added new housing developments in Bridgwater rely on improvements of key junctions.

The Cross Rifles roundabout will not be upgraded for at least another 18 months

The council has not published any initial designs for the Cross Rifles upgrade, which will aim to ease traffic flow to and from the M5.

A spokesman said: "This is a complex scheme which involves the acquisition of land.

"We're not able to outline costs at this point as land negotiation can be a difficult process and is subject to variables."

Funding for the scheme has also been contributed by Hinkley Point C and north-east Bridgwater developments.

The council is attempting to time the Cross Rifles upgrade to take place after work on the Dunball roundabout and Celebration Mile in the town centre has been completed.