A MAJOR Somerset Council project to remodel a busy junction and help prevent serious collisions has been completed on time and on budget. 

This week the team along with local Council Members marked the official opening of the new Miner’s Arms junction near Priddy, Wells – representing "an important investment in road safety". 

Work by the Council’s contractor Octavius Regional, civil engineer, started in April on the B3135/B3134 intersection, a notorious collision spot.

It is the scene of 37 known collisions in the last 20 years. Of these, there have been 11 serious collisions, three of which were fatal.

In the last seven years there have been one fatality, two serious collisions and nine other less serious collisions. 

The scheme saw the Council’s contractor Octavius realign the entire junction – essentially building a new stretch of road, to stagger the crossroads and help ensure collisions are radically reduced in the future. On the previous layout drivers regularly failed to stop, despite clear signage.  

The work included signing; lining; extensive drainage work and a new 40mph speed limit, as well as associated landscaping sympathetic to the National Landscape’s setting, reusing stone recovered from the site to build hundreds of feet of dry-stone wall. 

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s executive lead member for transport and waste services said: “I am delighted to see this vital safety scheme delivered. The statistics speak for themselves, something had to be done. We made sure the evidence pointed to a new design that would make the junction safer and identified funding within our budget to make it a reality. 

“Local residents and councillors were keen for something to be done and I’m sure everyone will be pleased with the result.

“We’re grateful to road users and the community for their patience, and to our new partner Octavius and the team for their hard work, and a fantastic end product delivered on time and on budget.”

Octavius Regional Civil Engineering (ORCE) lead commercial manager Ben Race added: “Miners Arms was the first project awarded to Octavius as part of our new arrangement with Somerset Council, and we are immensely proud to have successfully completed an essential scheme which will significantly enhance long-term public safety and ultimately save lives.   

“With the new staggered crossing in place, this junction will have a profound and lasting impact on road safety for all users.  

“The project also presented unique challenges. Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, traditional street lighting couldn’t be used. We ensured that all original materials from the traditional dry-stone walls surrounding the crossroads were reused in the new design, preserving the area’s character. 

“We look forward to continued collaboration with Somerset Council on many future projects.”