WORK to upgrade the motorway junction at Wellington is set to start next spring.

Somerset County Council has appointed a contractor to carry out the £5.7million scheme at Junction 26 of the M5 and the connecting link road.

The ageing concrete surface at the junction and the A38 link road to Chelston will be completely renewed.

The road surface, constructed in 1974, is showing signs of deterioration and the council is working with contractor Balfour Beatty on the largely Government-funded project to safely remove the old material and relay the surface.

The scheme is currently in the design phase, with work expected to commence early in 2023.

Cllr Mike Rigby, the executive lead member for transport and digital at County Hall, said: “We’re really pleased to appoint Balfour Beatty to carry out this important scheme – regular users of this route will be familiar with the old concrete carriageway.

“It has reached the end of its working life and this scheme will see the old surface removed and renewed, ensuring it is fit for purpose for decades to come.”