Long-awaited bypass delayed again due to water main works

A long-awaited bypass will be delayed for six months as water main diversion work will push back its construction.

North Somerset Council has said Banwell Bypass will be set to open in the winter of 2027 once Bristol Water has relocated its underground services from the bypass construction area to make water access easier for residents.

Building the bypass has cost more than £105m and now the council has confirmed water main work needs to be completed first as construction involves a range of ground improvements including piling.

Councillor Mike Bell said the bypass would improve road links between Weston-super-Mare and the A38, helping journeys flow smoothly on the wider road network.

Building a bypass around the congested village of Banwell was first proposed in 1927.

The project, finally approved in 2023, was originally set to cost £66m and was to be entirely funded by government body Homes England. But, after major delays, including the original contractor pulling out in 2024, the cost has increased.

Banwell Parish Council chairman, Steve Voller, said: "This delay extends the inconvenience and stress to those that live in the village and for anyone trying to get through it - especially at peak times."

He added it also impacted the emergency services and that "only this afternoon an ambulance had to turn around" because the narrow lanes "in the middle of the village were at a standstill".

Bell, leader of North Somerset Council, said despite the delay, "we continue to make good progress on site and the century-long wait will soon be over".

He added the project included "miles of new walking, cycling and horse-riding track" and said it connected with the Strawberry Line, the former railway line that was turned into a walking and cycling route, "along with new woodland, wetland and grassland".

The council also added it had worked to accommodate the water main diversions, however, it added the opening of the bypass would now be delayed from summer 2027 to later that year.

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