Works to upgrade a rough stretch of Wellington road, dubbed the 'concrete carriageway' by residents, has been delayed again.

The A38 connecting the M5 motorway to the Chelston Heath roundabout has not been resurfaced since the original concrete was laid in 1974.

Somerset Council had pledged to resurface the road in early 2022, after receiving a £5 million grant two years earlier to help fund the scheme.

But the 2022 deadline was missed, causing work to be rescheduled to begin in the summer of 2023. Contracting firm Balfour Beatty had been hired to take on the job, which is expected to take as long as 12 months to compete.

After summer came and went without any sign of works beginning, it became apparent the council would be announcing a further delayed to the beleaguered upgrade scheme.

Blaming scheduling issues, Somerset Council have now officially pushed back the works to commence in 2024 at the earliest. In a statement a spokesperson for the council said:

"These are major and complex works that will ensure the road remains useable for years to come but take some time to complete.

"Designs are nearly complete and we are considering how the scheme can be delivered in the most cost effective – given industry inflation pressures – and environmentally friendly way.

"Critically, we must also avoid any clash with other local and national works and are in discussions with National Highways to identify a suitable schedule.

"We hope to have an update soon, but can say the works will not start in this year as initially planned."