BUSINESS owners around Wellington fear “pandemonium” as the countdown to the M5 Junction 26 closure begins.

On Sunday, June 15, work will start on a £5.7-million Somerset Council Highways scheme to replace the “deteriorating” 51-year-old Chelston link road and Wellington motorway junction.

Both key roads will be closed for refurbishment for three months until the end of September.

We spoke to local businesses and shop owners to find out how these works will impact them:

Jacqui and Sarah, owners of Essentials Express both commute into Wellington from Taunton on a daily basis. They say they don’t know if they’ll be able to open for their usual hours.

Jacqui said: “We’re from Taunton, and we just don’t know if we’re going to open on time. I mean we’ll get used to leaving earlier, but I just don’t know.

“I worry for people that have got to get to work, from Wellington to Taunton and from Taunton to Wellington; it’s going to be horrendous.”

The business - which receives custom from Bridgwater, Yeovil, and Taunton - recently moved locations to a larger venue on Wellington’s High Street and has since “doubled” its income, says Jacqui.

She added: “But is that going to continue? We don’t know, but we’ll ride through it. We’ve got to, haven’t we?”

Owner of No Shelf Esteem, Aiden McLean also travels into town to run their bookshop on South Street.

They explained that temporary traffic light system for road works outside the Blackdown Garden centre was “absolute pandemonium,” and fears that the junction closure will be “a million times worse.”

Aiden said: “I agree 100 per cent with the way they're doing it, this brilliant environmental thing. I read up on it - amazing.

“But a huge amount of people must commute between Wellington and Taunton for work, and it’s going to take us an extra 40 minutes to get in at least.

“We worked out that the only way we're gonna be able to do that is we're gonna have to drive down to Junction 27 and then back up. Then if there's an accident on the motorway, or on the main road, we're screwed.

“I'm just envisaging myself getting very, very familiar with Spotify.”

Aiden explained that they expect to close the shop for an extra day every week for their mental health, and for stability in their relationship with their partner.

They said: “We nearly broke up over that closure [near Blackdown Garden Centre]. I was just so irate.”

But some business owners in Wellington are more hopeful. Co-owner of The Blue Mantle Guest House on Fore Street, Andrew Avery says he expects an almost fully booked three months.

He said: “We haven’t let it bother us at all.

“Customers come because Wellington is much cheaper than Taunton or Exeter. And a lot of people staying with us work in the town. All our regulars are still booked in.

“It would’ve been good if the council had spoken to local businesses and given people a chance to share their views but, I’m not sure if there’s ever a good time to do it.”

The refurbishment of the Junction 26 roundabout, along with the A38 Chelston link road, will begin in the evening on Sunday, June 15, lasting until late September.