Residents have said Somerset Council’s plans to improve safety on the Frome bypass do not go far enough, calling for stronger measures to be introduced.
Last month, Somerset Council shared proposals for the A361 Frome bypass following five fatalities in five years. The plans include lowering the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph, introducing central hatching to narrow lanes where possible, cutting back vegetation to improve visibility, and upgrading road markings.
Residents say the measures will have little impact on reducing the risk of serious accidents. One said, “The reduction in speed limit of 10 miles per hour, with no monitoring measures in place, will have little impact. When we are talking about fatalities, I would want to see stronger measures put in place, and it is disappointing that such measures are not being implemented.”
Residents have been urging traffic lights to be installed at the A361/A362 junction, or a roundabout as a solution to improve safety, with comments shared on social media. One said, “The only objection is that the measures don’t go far enough.” Another added, “A 50mph isn’t going to stop people pulling out dangerously at that junction,” while a third said, “Changing the speed won’t help; it needs to be controlled by traffic lights.”
Another resident questioned the layout, saying, “I’ve always been baffled as to why there are roundabouts all along the bypass, except there. That junction needs to be a roundabout.”
Somerset Council said it is looking at potential further measures. A spokesperson said, “We share the significant concern of the local community regarding a number of very serious incidents on this road – five fatalities in five years – and we have been working closely with Avon and Somerset Police, the MP, and community leaders to identify measures which can make a difference.
“There is already an AI camera system operating, introduced last year in a joint initiative by police and Somerset Council, which saw police log thousands of offences, including 74 speeding offences over 80 mph.
“Reducing the speed limit is the next step and can be introduced relatively quickly pending the results of the consultation. People, of course, can raise objections to this as part of the process. The site was identified as a priority for resurfacing, and alongside a new surface and reduced speed limit, the likelihood of collisions occurring should be reduced.
“Following this, we are currently looking at potential further measures to improve safety, based on discussions with police and engineering specialists. Any scheme needs to be evidence-based in terms of providing very real benefits in reducing the risk to road users, and these types of schemes can take some time to develop. The measures currently being looked at are the next steps identified to improve road safety in the area.”
