SCHEDULED upgrades to a major roundabout near Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge are yet to be confirmed by Somerset Council.

Crucial works to the Dunball Roundabout, which links junction 23 of the M5 to Bridgwater town centre via the A38 Bristol Road, as well as handling traffic from the A39 to and from Glastonbury, remain out for tender as the council is yet to secure a contractor.

In December 2023, the authority confirmed work would finally get under way in the summer of 2024, after years of campaigning from Somerset Councillors to push for upgrades to the roundabout.

In February 2024, the council said it was 'a step closer' to beginning the works, as it began the process of identifying a suitable contractor.

However, Somerset Council now states that although work is reportedly 'progressing well', they don't expect to be 'entering into contract' until summer, and a start date for the work remains to be confirmed.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said: “Work is progressing well on this vital project for Bridgwater and we expect to be entering into contract in the summer to deliver the upgraded roundabout at Dunball.”

Work was initially due to begin on creating a new £5.3m ‘throughabout’ on the site in February 2023, but has been repeatedly delayed due to high inflation in the construction industry.

The creation of the new through-about involves building a new road through the centre of the roundabout, allowing traffic between the two busiest points to move straight across, freeing up space that could be filled by other drivers.

It is hoped that directly connecting the A38 with the motorway junction will allow for smoother journeys and unlock several sites for new homes and commercial development.

It was recently announced that the country's largest battery factory will be built on the Gravity Smart Campus, located in Puriton, just a five minute drive from the Dunball Roundabout.

The £4.2billion gigafactory owned by Agratas, Tata Group’s global battery business, is predicted to create up to 4,000 new jobs.

At the time of the announcement, Cllr Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council, said: “This is momentous for the county, its economy and for future generations."