DETAILS of the route of multi-million improvements to a traffic-clogged main road into Taunton will be made public towards the end of the year.

Highways England is currently assessing three options for the project between Junction 25 of the M5 at Taunton and the Southfields roundabout at Ilminster.

More than 1,700 people attended a public consultation event over six weeks earlier this year after Highways England said it would dual the whole route.

There are three options for a bypass at Henlade:

  • Running to the north of Stoke St Mary, with junctions on the M5 and connecting West Hatch, A378, Henlade and Hatch Beauchamp.
  • Running alongside the current A358. Junctions would allow traffic to join southbound M5 from the A358, or leave northbound to the A358; connect Taunton and the M5; and a connection between Ash, Henlade, A378 and Hatch Beauchamp.
  • Junctions allowing traffic to join southbound M5 from the A358, or leave northbound M5 for the A358; connecting Taunton and the M5, with a junction connection between West Hatch, A378, Henlade and Hatch Beauchamp.

In an e-mail to Stoke St Mary Parish councillor Mike Farrell, Laura Steen, of South West Highways England, said: "We are currently still undertaking assessment work around the route options and, before any announcement for the preferred route, we do need to go through a formal approval process.

"The preferred route announcement date is, therefore, subject to this approval but we are expecting it will be towards the end of this year’s autumn period."