Somerset Council has confirmed the start date for a significant year-long upgrade of the Edithmead roundabout near junction 22 of the M5 motorway, a key point linking Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge. Working in partnership with North Somerset Council, the councils aim to enhance the A38 corridor between the M5 and Bristol Airport to reduce congestion, improve journey times, and boost road safety.
The project, carried out by Centregreat-the contractor behind the £10.7 million Dunball roundabout improvements completed in November 2025-is due to commence shortly after Christmas and will involve a full year of roadworks for motorists.
This roundabout serves as a major route for holidaymakers travelling to Bristol Airport from Devon and further south. The airport advises drivers to leave the M5 at junction 22 and follow signs for the A38, while those coming from Bristol or beyond generally use junction 18.
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Detailed plans published ahead of Somerset Council’s executive committee meeting on 2 September reveal that the roundabout will be transformed into a signalised ‘throughabout’. This design will include a two-lane ‘through’ path directly across the roundabout, enabling smoother flow for northbound traffic from the M5 onto Bristol Road towards Cheddar and Weston-super-Mare. The improvement aims to reduce tailbacks on the motorway slip-road by providing a more direct route.
The entire roundabout will be widened with additional lanes added to the key approaches from the M5, A38 Bristol Road, and B3140. Moreover, new pedestrian and cycle links will be created on the western side to offer safer active travel options for local residents.
Flood protection measures form part of the scheme, with an attenuation basin planned in the centre of the roundabout and enhancements to nearby watercourses including the Brent Broad Rhyne.
According to Josephine Paterson, senior officer in the council’s infrastructure and transport commissioning team, the scheme is “designed to improve road safety, journey time reliability, active travel connectivity and network resilience along the A38 corridor.” It will also support planned housing and employment growth while mitigating impacts on the strategic road network. The investment aligns with expectations from National Highways and maximises opportunities presented by Department for Transport (DfT) funding.
The Edithmead roundabout project is part of a wider package of four improvement schemes within Somerset, altogether costing approximately £18.8 million. Funding comprises £9.16 million from the DfT, including £521,000 already spent on design and business cases, with the remainder drawn down upon approval of final business plans. Somerset Council will provide over £9 million, partly from local transport grants, underspends on prior road schemes, and its capital programme. An additional £618,000 is expected from developer contributions within the Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge area, which the council will borrow upfront and repay as funds become available.
To offset borrowing costs, the council is pursuing funding from National Highways’ Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund, which supports strategic transport projects unlocking housing and economic growth.
Following the executive committee’s vote on 2 September to accept the DfT funding, Centregreat will enter an eight-week lead-in phase starting 14 October. Initial site works and establishment of construction compounds may take place during this period.
Main construction is scheduled to begin on 6 January 2027 and continue until 4 January 2028. Specific details regarding possible closures, speed restrictions, or diversions will be published soon on Somerset Council’s roadworks website.
It is worth noting that construction at the nearby Cross junction on the A38 is planned to begin in late August 2027 and extend until March 2028, overlapping with the latter stages of the Edithmead works. Motorists should anticipate potential delays on this corridor during this time.
Timetables for the less extensive improvements at Rooksbridge and Shute Shelve have yet to be announced.