Plans to build a bypass around a congested village are still “on the road” as new contractors are set to be appointed.

Building a bypass around Banwell was first proposed in 1927 and work was supposed to have begun in May.

But Alun Griffiths, which was handed the £56.5m contract to build the road by North Somerset Council, walked away from the deal in March.

North Somerset Council, which remained committed to the project, says it is now set to appoint a new contractor.

Council leader Mike Bell told a full meeting of the council on Tuesday July 9: “At the moment, the expectation is that we will have a new contractor in place quickly, the programme will remain on track and we will be able to commence construction, spades in the ground, properly in the autumn with the programme still on track to be delivered by the end of 2026.”

He said he had intended for the award of the new contract to be signed off at the meeting but said “we haven’t been able to land that in time.” The award of the contract will now be signed off later by the council’s director of place. 

A design element of the contract will be signed off immediately “with the intent that that will get cracking in a matter of a couple of weeks,” with a report on signing off the construction expected in September. 

Mr Bell said: “I want to pay tribute to the project team because we have had so many challenges with this project, both in terms of getting funding approvals through some of the funders and in terms of making sure we were able to contract services and providers within the budget envelope that we had — which was particularly challenging at a time when inflation was running so high and cost of living pressures were so high last year.”

Responding to a question from Banwell councillor Joe Tristram (Banwell and Winscombe, Green), Mr Bell gave an assurance he did not currently expect more funds to be required.

Banwell has been plagued by terrible traffic since the mid-18th century. Two A-roads funnel traffic into the village which at one point has to go down a single track lane between houses and the village bakery. Locals say the traffic makes life in the village a “living hell.”

If the road opens in 2026, it will have taken 99 years since it was first proposed in 1927.