Wells drivers warned as Whitnell Corner shuts

By Laura Linham 13th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

Drivers near Wells are being warned to expect disruption as Whitnell Corner fully closes today, Monday, 13 July, for the next phase of a major road safety scheme. The closure affects the junction near West Horrington, where the B3139 Bath Road meets the B3135.

Diversion routes are being put in place while the work is carried out, with motorists urged to plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys. The works will see the existing junction replaced with a new roundabout after years of concern over safety at the site.

Whitnell Corner, just outside the Mendip Hills National Landscape, has a 60mph speed limit in all directions and has been the scene of 67 collisions in the past 20 years. Those crashes include 15 serious incidents and one fatality, which happened in 2019.

Somerset Council says the scheme is designed to reduce the risk of death or serious injury at the junction. The £4m project is being delivered by the council's contractor, Octavius, using central government road safety funding.

The funding is ring-fenced for road safety schemes, meaning it cannot be used for pothole repairs or similar road maintenance. The scheme had been due to start earlier in the year, but was postponed while final adjustments were made to the design.

Those changes included alterations to the size and shape of the soak-away and nearby pond, which are intended to protect the future roundabout from localised flooding. The council has said the later start date should allow the road to reopen sooner than originally planned, weather permitting.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council's portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said the junction had been identified as a priority for some time. He said the council understood the work would cause disruption, including for local businesses.

"This difficult junction has been identified as a priority for some time, but with a project of this size we have needed to plan for the impact and necessary closure and identify funding to deliver it," Cllr Wilkins said. "I'm really pleased to see this happening – the statistics show we need to get this work done."

"We understand there will be disruption while our contractor does the work, and that will involve local businesses," he added. "We have been working with these to ensure we minimise any impact as much as possible."

"At the end of the day, this scheme is vital to ensure the chance of death or serious injury on this junction is significantly reduced," Cllr Wilkins said.

Because of the scale of the construction, the junction will remain closed throughout the improvement work. Drivers are being advised to check Somerset Council's roadworks and travel information before setting out.