National Highways has joined forces with the police to improve safety on the A46 near Bath by introducing new speed limits.

Highways officials worked with Avon and Somerset Police and councils in the area to identify safety issues on the A46 between Bath and M4 junction 18.

Between 2017 and 2021 there have been a total of 41 traffic incidents resulting in 79 casualties, two of which were fatalities. Following further monitoring and surveys, National Highways decided to reduce speed limits along a number of sections.

The installation of new signs following the speed reduction order will take place in the coming weeks, with resurfacing and road marking work taking place later in the year.

Sean Walsh, National Highways’ A46 route manager, said: “Safety is our first priority, and we constantly monitor the safety performance of all our roads, including the A46.

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“Following a review of the collision data and working closely with our police and local authority partners, we have taken the decision to implement revised speed limits to reduce safety risks along the single lane section between Upper Swainswick and junction 18 of the M4.

“We’re always exploring ways to make our roads safer by using collision data, risk assessments and insights to better understand driver behaviour. The scheme is designed to improve safety for all road users and reduce the number of people harmed on the region’s roads.”

Chief Inspector of Avon and Somerset Police, Rob Cheeseman, said: “We welcome National Highways’ efforts to improve driver safety on the A46 and their use of data to identify the riskiest stretches of road in the area.

“In 2023 and 2024 combined, we attended 872 fatal and serious injury collisions on Avon and Somerset roads.”

“The speed limits we put in place are therefore not optional; they are there to keep our roads safe for motorists and pedestrians alike. Even one life lost on our roads through excess speed is one life too many, and it is completely avoidable.”

Work will start on Monday, February 24, and a combination of temporary traffic lights and some overnight closures of the A46.

The A46 north of the Cold Ashton roundabout will be closed overnight from Thursday, March 6 to Saturday, March 8.

The A46 south of the Cold Ashton roundabout will be closed overnight from Wednesday, March 12 until Saturday, March 15, then again from Monday, March 17 to Tuesday March 18.

There will be two main diversion routes during the sign installation work:

When the A46 is closed north of Cold Ashton roundabout the diversion will be via:

And when it is closed south of Cold Ashton roundabout, the diversion route will be via:

Both diversion routes can be travelled in either direction.

For more details on National Highways’ work in the South West go to https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/