UK authorities delay the Banwell bypass, a 100-year-old road project, by six months following new financial difficulties

The Banwell bypass in North Somerset, United Kingdom, has been delayed by a further six months, while the project’s cost has risen by £9.5 million to approximately £114.6 million. The decision extends the community’s wait for a solution to the village’s suffocating traffic to more than a century.

The first official proposal to build the road dates back to 1927. Since then, the project has been held up by successive administrative debates, studies and political changes. Banwell experiences heavy traffic after two main roads meet before a narrow street, affecting residents, the local economy and emergency vehicle access.

North Somerset councillors are expected to approve the borrowing needed to cover the additional funding. The bypass will be 3.5 kilometres long and will be built north of the village along an M-shaped route.

Studies estimate that the project could reduce traffic in the centre of the village by up to 78%. Residents hope this will help Banwell regain its commercial vitality after dozens of shops and small businesses closed over the decades.