Construction company Taylor Woodrow secures significant contract for A358 highway project granted by Highways England.
Highways England Awards £328 Million Contract for A358 Upgrade
Highways England has awarded a £328 million contract to Taylor Woodrow Plus for the design and delivery of an upgrade to the A358 between the M5 at Taunton and the Southfields roundabout on the A303. The project, part of a long-term aim to create a high-quality dual carriageway link between London and the south east and the south west, is set to commence soon.
The A303/A358 corridor upgrade aims to make journeys safer by reducing the number of road junctions and other private accesses with direct access onto the A358. This nine-mile section of the road will be upgraded to a high-quality dual carriageway, improving connectivity and reducing journey times.
Preparatory works have already been taking place with Taylor Woodrow, Arup, and Ramboll undertaking ground investigation and environmental surveys in the area to inform their design proposals. The public consultation on the proposals is scheduled to take place in October 2020.
Highways England will conduct a public consultation later this autumn before submitting a Development Consent Order application for the A358 scheme. This statutory consultation will take place ahead of the submission of the scheme's application to the Planning Inspectorate.
The A358 scheme will provide direct access to the Nexus 25 development near Taunton, reducing traffic through Henlade by almost 90%. Improved connectivity and reduced journey times will benefit the local and regional economy, making Taunton, Somerset, and the south west a more attractive place to work and do business.
The A303 carries an average of 23,500 vehicles per day, but numbers significantly increase in the summer, particularly at weekends, causing unreliable and unpredictable journeys. Much of the corridor is a dual carriageway, but there are still over 35 miles of single carriageway that act as congestion bottlenecks, particularly in the summer months and at weekends.
The A303 Stonehenge upgrade and the A303 Sparkford to Ilchester scheme have already received Development Consent Order approval, addressing congestion and unlocking economic growth on the A303 corridor. The A358 Taunton to Southfields upgrade is a significant step forward in this long-term plan.
Paula Hewitt, Somerset County Council's Lead Director for Economic and Community Infrastructure, expressed support for the A358 project, stating that it is a significant step forward. Andrew Alcorn, Highways England Programme Leader for the A358, expressed delight at working with Taylor Woodrow Plus to move forward this vital scheme.
Further information on the A358 Taunton to Southfields upgrade can be found on the A358 Taunton to Southfields webpage.
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