Weston-super-Mare road works to start

Work to reduce congestion at peak hours on a busy Weston-super-Mare road will start this month.

Balfour Beatty is carrying out the £97,000 works at Herluin Way on behalf of North Somerset Council.

Motorists are advised that although the scheme will benefit them in the long term, it may cause some disruption while the works are carried out.

Heavy traffic inbound on the A370 often results in queuing on the approach to the right-hand-turn lane into Hutton Moor Road.

Work is due to start on November 23 to extend this lane by around 50 metres to provide additional space, without blocking the main lanes into the town. The aim is to reduce congestion and ease traffic flows.

In addition, up-to-the-minute technology will be incorporated in new traffic lights at the junction.

Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, North Somerset Council's deputy leader and executive member for highways said: "This section of Herluin Way has long been a problem at peak times and the work being carried out is the first stage of an overall improvement package being worked up to improve traffic flows on this, the main access route into Weston.

"The lane extension will be an immediate benefit whilst the existing traffic lights are nearing the end of their life expectancy.

"The replacement traffic signals will use the latest lamp technology, reducing future maintenance by up to 25 per cent and energy consumption by up to 70 per cent."

Work to install the new lights by Siemens Traffic Solutions will begin on November 21 and is due to last 10 days. There will be temporary traffic lights, a short diversion using the Winterstoke and Flowerdown roundabouts and a partial lane closure on the A370 inbound, daily between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

The scheme was funded by the local transport plan.