Upgrade of busy route put in doubt
A BUSY stretch of the A303 on the Devon-Somerset border will not be upgraded in the near future if plans to dual the A358 are approved.
National Highways is about to start a fresh round of public consultation on its plans to dual the A358 between Junction 25 of the M5 at Taunton and the Southfields roundabout near Ilminster.
The new road would aim to provide an unbroken stretch of dual carriageway between the M5 and the M3, cutting journey times for local residents and holidaymakers.
However, the short stretch of dual carriageway on the A303 at Marsh – on the Devon-Somerset border – will not be improved or extended if the A358 dualling scheme goes ahead, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.
This comes just a month after the agency (formerly known as Highways England) said it had no plans to upgrade the regularly congested Eagle Tavern junction between Marsh and Ilminster.
The A303 moves from dual carriageway to single carriageway at the entrance to the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, not far from the village of Horton, west of Ilminster.
The only exception is the short stretch at Marsh, where the road crosses the River Yarty into Devon and then climbs steeply before merging with the A30 near Yarcombe.
The Marsh stretch was created in 1976 to bypass the village, and covers just under three-quarters of a mile.
National Highways last looked at the feasibility of dualling through the Blackdown Hills in 2015.
Devon County Council put forward detailed proposals in 2017 for dualling the A30 between Honiton and the junction with the A303 (also known as Devonshire Inn) – but these were ultimately not taken forward.
Neil Winter, route manager for National Highways, said: “We can confirm there are no immediate plans for improvements on the A303 at Marsh as part of the current roads investment strategy.
“We will continue to liaise with local councils and MPs on the route, but we are confident that our proposed upgrade to the A358 will help reduce traffic and ease congestion in the area.”
He added: “The delivery of this scheme is part of a long-term aim to create a high-quality dual carriageway link between the South East and the South West, while minimising the impact on this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”