A significant road safety project by Somerset Council aimed at reducing serious collisions near Priddy has been completed on schedule and within budget. Local Council members gathered this week to officially open the newly redesigned Miner's Arms junction, a development intended to drastically improve safety at one of the region's collision hotspots.

Work began in April on the B3135/B3134 intersection, historically a high-risk area with 37 recorded collisions over the past two decades, including three fatalities. In recent years alone, the junction has seen a fatal accident, two serious incidents, and several minor collisions. The Council commissioned contractor Octavius Regional Civil Engineering (ORCE) to carry out a full redesign of the junction to stagger the crossroads, a change expected to reduce accidents significantly.

The project involved extensive engineering work, including new signage, road markings, and drainage. The Council also introduced a new 40mph speed limit, along with landscaping efforts that reused stone recovered from the site to construct hundreds of feet of traditional dry-stone wall in keeping with the National Landscape.

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."

Part of the new junction (Supplied)

He added his thanks to both road users for their patience and the Octavius team for their dedication to delivering the project on time and within budget.

Ben Race, Lead Commercial Manager at Octavius, noted the importance of the scheme for public safety. "Miner's 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," he said.

"The project also presented unique challenges," he added. "Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, traditional street lighting couldn't be used. Additionally, 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."