GETTING on and off the motorway at Taunton should be quicker and less stressful in the future following the submission of proposals for major road improvements.

Somerset County Council has applied for planning permission to make the changes as part of an £18 million scheme to help cut frequent jams at Junction 25 of the M5, which is currently over-capacity.

A raft of measures includes: *enlarging and widening the roundabout, with an additional traffic lane; *widening Toneway for 200 metres from the roundabout towards Taunton; *a 300-metre dual carriageway linking the roundabout to a new bridge over Black Brook; *a roundabout on the south western side of the Gateway Park and Ride; *reconfiguring the Ruishton Lane/A358 junction and constructing a A358 westbound link to the new roundabout; *pedestrian and cycle facilities; *reconfiguring exit routes out of the park and ride and removing 35 parking spaces to accommodate the new link road and associated internal alterations; *provision of lighting and direction signs.

The work will be funded by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal Fund, Taunton Deane Borough Council, Somerset County Council and developer contributions.

A County Hall spokesman said: “Now we have secured a full funding package for the Junction 25 scheme, we are pleased to see it progressing.

"The application for planning permission for the highway works is an important next step to bringing vital improvements to the area.

“These plans will not only ensure the motorway junction is fit for the town’s future growth, but will also unlock access to a new employment site potentially attracting new businesses to the area.

“Taunton Deane Borough Council will be taking forward a separate but related planning process for the strategic development site at Junction 25 in due course.”

Among documents accompanying the planning application, a report says the scheme is needed due to lack of capacity on the M5 off slip road for southbound traffic; queues and delays on the A358 from Ilminster; and tailbacks on leaving Blackbrook Business Park and on the Toneway out of Taunton.

A report suggests traffic at peak times at J25 will increase from 5,000 vehicles to an estimated 6,500 or 7,000 by 2028, adding that the proposals will boost the economy and support growth, with 13,000 new homes and 9,000 jobs predicted in Taunton over the same period.

The improvements would also provide access to a proposed new employment site on land east of the M5 and south of the A358.