Langport Traffic Chaos
If you were trying to head in or out of Langport this morning (24th February) you may have been disappointed. Langport may be small and perfectly formed, but the traffic jams in and out of town were not.
From Tengore Lane up Picts Hill and on to the town centre took around one and a half hours to travel just one and a half miles at 9am this morning. The sort of chaos more usually associated with big cities than small country towns.
The problem was exacerbated by the floods in the area around Muchelney and the closure of the A372 in Huish Episcopi. Added to which this morning was the first day back after the school holiday for students trying to get to Huish Episcopi Academy.
However the route of the problem seemed to lie with traffic controls along Field Road just off the roundabout where the A372 meets the Somerton Road. Traffic was flowing, albiet at a snails pace out of Langport towards Somerton, but in the other direction it was more or less at a standstill.
Can we expect more of the same this week? Not according to Somerset County Council. Their spokesperson told The Leveller® “The temporary traffic lights on Field Road were initially required for developer works. However, we have needed to extend the shuttle to include the bridge over the railway, which has sustained damage due to a collapsed badger sett. The longer shuttle means the lights are less efficient and we’re aware of some issues this morning with the increased school traffic. We will contact the developer to make sure the lights are being manually controlled at peak times and will reduce the length of the shuttle as soon as the developer works are complete. This is expected to take place on Friday.”
Even so drivers would be well advised to expect delays at rush hour and try and plan alternative routes as and when they can.