A SCHEME to replace traffic light signals when they come to the end of their working life has been approved to extend to other sites.

Traffic lights across Somerset have already been replaced. Sites include Taunton, Bridgwater, Chard, Wells, Shepton Mallet and Frome. 

This is part of a £16.6m investment.

Somerset Council’s lead member for Transport and Digital, Cllr Mike Rigby, has approved funding for the next phase.

Work is currently nearing completion in Lysander Road in Yeovil, and commenced earlier this month in Stars Lane, with work at Larkhill Road starting in May and West Coker Road in June. 

In order for the work to be carried out, there has been need for some evening road closures for resurfacing. The council aim to minimise disruption by co-ordinating with other operators.

For example, the council have liaised with Wessex Water to ensure they can carry out repair works immediately ahead of the signal replacement on West Coker Road.

Wessex Water will commence work on May 9 and will finish the opening phase ahead of the council works in June.

A second phase of Wessex Water’s scheme will take place after the signals recovery work has finished in July.

Cllr Rigby said: “These are essential traffic signal upgrades, they must be replaced or they will fail, so it’s vital that we identified the funding and factored the work in as soon as possible. 

“This investment in our signals network is long overdue, it follows many years of under-investment in our traffic signals infrastructure.

“Of course we appreciate that this will cause some disruption for road users, and our teams will be doing their utmost to minimise this. In the case of our upcoming works in West Coker Road, we are liaising closely with Wessex Water to ensure essential mains work is carried out immediately before the signals replacement to avoid further disruption in the near future." 

Here are the upcoming phases (approximate and can be dependent on weather):

• Stars Lane junction work – April to end July/early August.

• Larkhill Road - commencing May, completing summer.

• West Coker Road – Wessex Water works start of May/Somerset Council signal works from early June to end of July/early August.

• Sherborne Road/Wyndham Street – mid-summer start.