WORK to replace ageing traffic lights on the A39 in Dunster will now take up to five months to complete, longer than originally expected.

Contractors are due on site at Dunster Steep on Monday (January 5) and were expected to be finished by April.

Now, Somerset executive Cllr Richard Wilkins, who is responsible for the county’s highways, has said the project will not be completed until May.

The traffic lights were installed more than 30 years ago and are now near the end of their working life.

Cllr Wilkins said: “These signals are over 30 years old, and replacing them now will prevent the significant disruption that an emergency repair would cause.

“Once the new signals are installed, we will carry out resurfacing of the whole junction.

“During the works, we will do everything possible to keep disruption to a minimum.”

The Dunster project is part of a £16.6 million initiative to replace old traffic signals across Somerset.

Somerset Council said significant excavation work would be needed because old ducting and wiring would have to be removed from the ground under the road and replaced.

It said an ‘intelligent’ temporary traffic lights system will be in operation while work is carried out, with the lights mirroring the cycle of the existing signals to help minimise disruption.