A303: Major Improvements To Road A Step Nearer

28 January 2014, 09:24 | Updated: 28 January 2014, 09:27

Improvements to the A303/ A358/A30 corridor took a major step forward at a meeting with the Department for Transport.

At a very positive meeting with Somerset, Devon, Wiltshire and Dorset Councils, Highways Agency, Local Enterprise Partnership, business groups and other interest parties the Department for Transport shared details of their study of the route and confirmed that they will be presenting a strong business case and recommendations to Ministers by the end of this year. 

The meeting also sought to establish whether there are individual sections of the route which could be constructed early-on in the Government’s new roads programme which will start in 2015. 

Cllr David Hall, Deputy Leader of Somerset County Council, said: ''Improving the A303 corridor will bring considerable economic benefits to the South West. We and our partners have long campaigned for these improvements and following the work we presented to Ministers last year I am really pleased that the Department for Transport is now taking forward our case.'' 

The Government announced in July last year that it would tackle some of the most notorious and long-standing road hot spots in the country including the A303/A358/A30 corridor.