Falcon Buses will temporarily suspend all services to the town of Wellington from mid-June to mid-September due to extensive roadworks on the M5 link road. Somerset Council announced that major resurfacing works on the Chelston link road, critical for connecting junction 26 of the M5 to Wellington and nearby business parks, will begin in mid-June.
The Chelston link road upgrade, funded largely by the Department for Transport nearly five years ago, aims to improve the route connecting junction 26 with the A38 and local areas. However, concerns have been raised about increased congestion on the A38 and surrounding smaller roads during the closure, which coincides with a busy travel period.
Work will proceed in four phases: starting June 15 with closure of the western part of the roundabout and M5 slip roads (except for National Highways access), followed by eastern roundabout reconstruction by late July. The latter phases will focus on resurfacing sections of the link road itself, with efforts to carry out construction concurrently wherever possible.
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As junction 26 will remain closed throughout the project, drivers will be required to use junction 25 (Taunton) or junction 27 (Tiverton) and navigate via the A38 to reach Wellington. Traffic from West Buckland and the Blackdown Hills will be redirected accordingly onto alternative routes.
Falcon Buses confirmed that road closures will prevent their services from serving Wellington during this period. A spokesperson explained, “Due to essential roadworks and the closure at M5 junction 26 from June 15 until September 16, our Falcon service will temporarily be unable to serve Wellington. No suitable diversions exist that won’t cause significant delays to other routes.”
To assist passengers, a local connecting service will operate via Taunton. Falcon encourages customers to stay updated on service changes and travel information through their social media channels. While the closure is inconvenient, the resurfacing is essential to enhance the long-term safety and efficiency of this key transport artery.