A £1.5 million upgrade to the A39 cycle route in west Somerset, aimed at improving safety and accessibility for cyclists, has been officially scrapped. The funding was initially provided by Active Travel England, part of the Department for Transport, in May 2023 to renovate the narrow and often hazardous cycle path stretching between Dunster and Carhampton.
While Somerset Council will proceed with a significant upgrade at the A39 Minehead Road and A396 Dunster Steep junction—modernizing traffic signals and enhancing pedestrian crossings—the wider cycle path project along the A39 will no longer move forward. The council cited “logistical challenges” as the primary reason for abandoning the initiative and has reallocated the grant to other active travel improvements throughout Somerset.
Currently, the A39 between Williton and Minehead offers limited cycling facilities, forcing riders to navigate narrow paths shared with pedestrians, face overgrown vegetation, or risk using the busy main road during peak holiday traffic, including heavy goods vehicle movements. The existing cycle path covers the stretch from Winsors Lane in Carhampton to the A396 crossroads in Dunster but is insufficient in width and safety standards.
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The original upgrade plan sought to connect this path to two recently completed sections: from Seaward Way roundabout in Minehead to Marsh Lane in Dunster, finished in June 2023 at a cost of £1 million, and a short stretch between Marsh Lane and Dunster Steep completed in mid-2025.
Although the broader project has been halted, minor enhancements will still be made as part of the traffic light upgrades in Dunster, including some path widening and improvements to pedestrian crossings.
Somerset Council confirmed that the £1.5 million grant was redirected—with Active Travel England’s consent—to other schemes such as improvements along Lyde Road in Yeovil, the Marsh Lane to Dunster Steep segment, several initiatives in Taunton, and a path alongside the A39 Westway as part of the Street Signals Recovery Programme.
Work on the A39 Westway enhancement near Clarks Village, funded by the reallocated government grant, is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2026. Meanwhile, the council remains committed to exploring viable options to improve cycle provision between Dunster and Carhampton in the future.