CHANGES are being made to a notorious accident blackspot in Somerset in a bid to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

Somerset Council has announced contractor Octavius will realign the junction of the B3135 and B3134, known as the Miner’s Arms Junction, near Priddy.

A spokesperson said drivers “regularly fail to stop, despite clear signage” at the junction.

According to Avon & Somerset Police figures, in the last 20 years there have been 35 known crashes at the site – while it is suspected that there have been a significant number of other, unreported incidents.

Of the 35, there have been 11 serious collisions, three of which were fatal.

In the last seven years, there have been two fatalities, two serious crashes and eight other less serious incidents.

Work is set to get underway on Monday, April 29, and the scheme is expected to be complete by July.

The work will see the junction realigned, including a new section of road and associated landscaping, as well as new signing, drainage work and a reduced speed limit introduced.

“It is anticipated most of the work will be done using temporary traffic lights, although some short closures will be required and advance notice of these will be given nearer the time,” a spokesperson said.

Cllr Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s executive lead member for transport and digital, said: “Many people will be familiar with this difficult junction – it was identified as priority some years ago but due to the scope of the work required it has taken some time to identify and ringfence funding for this.

“I’m really pleased to see this happening – the statistics speak for themselves, something has to be done.

“We appreciate there may be some minor disruption while our contractor does the work, which we will keep to a minimum.

“I think we can agree it’s worth it to ensure the chance of death or serious injury on this junction is significantly reduced.”

Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman, head of roads policing at Avon & Somerset Police, added: “Our primary concern is always road safety, and we recognise that road design plays a critical role in mitigating risks on our roads.

“The proposed changes are a positive step towards reducing the potential for collisions.”