MORE motorway misery for drivers on the M5 near Wellington will start on Monday (November 2), just three months since a major drainage scheme was completed.

Now, National Highways is to replace the central safety barrier, sometimes known as VRS, between the Wellington and Taunton junctions.

The work is scheduled to continue for nine months until the end of next July.

It will see a series of overnight closures in both directions with motorway traffic diverted onto the A38 to travel between Chelston and Taunton.

There will also be lane closures with the motorway reduced to two lanes, narrow lanes introduced, and a 50 mph speed limit imposed.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “The barrier has reached the end of its life and needs replacing.”

From November to March, the M5 between junctions 26 and 25 will be reduced to two lanes running in both directions with a 50 mph speed limit in place.

The spokesperson said the outside lane on both northbound and southbound carriageways would be closed to maintain the safety of work teams.

Between March and July, three narrow lanes will be running in both directions under a 50 mph speed restriction.

Some overnight closures will be needed to install and change the layout of the traffic management during the work.

Overnight lane closures between 9 pm and 6 am will occur from November 2 to 8, followed by the southbound carriageway closing overnight on November 9.

Then, from November 10 to 13 there will be a full closure in both directions from 9 pm to 6 am nightly, which will be repeated on November 16.

The final closure will be on the northbound carriageway between the same times on November 17.

Previously, there were similar closures and restrictions between junctions 26 and 27 for drainage and safety improvements from last October to July this year.