A CONTROVERSIAL section of West Somerset cycleway is to be completed - nearly two years since contractors left.

Somerset Council saw furore among motorists using the A39 when work on a £1 million cycleway between Dunster and Minehead caused 10 months of traffic mayhem.

The project took from October, 2022, to July, 2023, and saw the council sack the original contractors and bring in a new workforce to reduce disruption for travellers and finish the job.

Now, Octavius Infrastructure Ltd is due to complete the last 105 feet of the cycleway to take it to the junction of the A39 with Marsh Street, Dunster.

Work is scheduled to start on May 6 and will be carried out in phases with a completion date of June 17.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place 24 hours a day and a range of restrictions has been approved by the council, including convoy working and 10 mph and 30 mph speed limits on the A39, closing Marsh Street to vehicles, and a ban on cyclists using part of the route.

A council spokesperson told the Free Press: “Works are planned to complete the section in the vicinity of the Marsh Street junction, linking to where the works stopped during the previous phase.

“It is anticipated the works will take six weeks to complete and the Marsh Street junction will be closed for the duration.

“Two-way traffic on A39 will be maintained throughout the day.

“However, there will be some light controlled works during the evenings in the first and last week of the programme.”

The spokesperson declined to say why the project had not been completed at the time the cycleway was installed.

They also would not give a cost for the work, but said it would be covered by a Government Active Travel grant.