AS work continues with Taunton's Third Way road construction linking north and south, Somerset County Council has put the finishing touches to a bid, which aims to secure nearly £16 million of funding for another major road project.

The Northern Inner Distributor Road (NIDR) , a proposal to construct a new road linking Staplegrove Road in the west of Taunton to Priory Avenue in the east, is one of Somerset’s top priority road schemes. The Council is working hard to make sure that it does everything possible to secure the money needed to build it. The Government has identified the NIDR as one of only ten schemes nationally that it will currently consider funding. This is subject to the Council submitting a ‘best and final’ funding bid by the end of December.

If successful, the NIDR will create an additional east-west link for Taunton, aiming to ease congestion along Greenway Road, Priorswood Road, and the Rowbarton area. The NIDR will also provide access to brown field development sites at Taunton West Goods Yard, Taunton East Goods Yard and the Firepool area.

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member - Strategic Planning and Economic Development said: “We have done everything within our power to ensure that our bid will be successful and deliver real value for money for Taunton. Not only will this road help to reduce congestion, but it will also open up access to sites that have the potential to support significant economic development. I believe the final decision-makers should be convinced by these important benefits.”

The estimated cost of the scheme is £21 million. The proposals are being grant funded by the Department for Transport, together with contributions from Somerset County Council, and adjacent relevant developers.

 The development  would involve the construction of a new bridge over the River Tone and the canal in the vicinity of Priory Fields Business Park,replacement of the former rail bridge over Station Road to the north of Whitehall and the probable replacement of the existing foot bridge over the railway at Chip Lane.

Approximately 1.6 km of new carriageway would be constructed  together with the realignment of a further 150 metres of carriageway and a new junction at the Chip Lane / Staplegrove Road junction. The existing Priory Bridge Road / Priory Avenue / Priory Park junction would be improved with the provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities.