YOUR publication, on many occasions in the past, has had editorial and letter page coverage of the Taunton Northern Inner Distributor Road (NIDR).

I attended the Department of Transport hearing under the chairmanship of Martin Whitehead on May 15, 2012. At this hearing it was recorded ‘The Scheme would commence in October 2012 and last for 18 months until the end of March 2014’.

The published cost of the scheme, at this time, was £21.7 million. As we all know, the road is not yet complete or opened.

I do have some ‘observant issues’ as a member of the general public living close to the east end of the project also having been directly inconvenienced during its construction.

My first observation is ‘Why was the bridge, at this end, built as high as it is?’. The answer given to me was ‘To allow delivery lorries access to the retail outlets ie Wickes and Dunelm etc without having to cross oncoming traffic – which is a safety issue’.

Therefore, why, after the new Obridge Bridge has been completed is the retail-park delivery entrance blocked with parked vehicles and builders rubble, so therefore, the retailers are still having to use the entrance on the Obridge Road?

Had the arrangement between the retailers and the construction company during the building continued, the height of the bridge could have been built lower with a gentle incline to the other side of the river and canal – the bridge cost therefore would have been vastly reduced.

When and if the new service road is finally opened, an accident is waiting to happen when a 40-ton lorry descends this narrow, steep, windy road to deliver its cargo.

The second point is that at the time of the DoT hearing, we were told the Metal Bridge, in Station Road, only needed superficial attention and would not need more than ‘foundation strengthening’.

Instead a new bridge has been installed, again, at an additional expense not in the original budget.

And my final point is that traffic travelling from the Minehead direction is at present, divided at the Staplegrove Inn roundabout – evenly distributing vehicles between the two roads; (Greenway Road and Staplegrove Road). The plan now is for all traffic to be directed solely towards the new road along ¼ mile or so of the existing Staplegrove Road, with domestic parking, which will contribute to a new bottleneck incurring, I am sure, disturbance and inconvenience to the residence to this part of Staplegrove Road.

The busy access to both Bindon Road commercial businesses and Taunton School main entrance will add further major road congestion.

Is anyone at either Somerset County Council or Taunton Deane being asked to account for what will appear to be a vast over spend and two year additional time for this “carbuncle” which has been a waste of effort, time and money – to achieve – what?

Should heads roll? They would if it had been private industry!

JEREMY LEYTON
Geoffrey Farrant Walk
Taunton