THE final phase of work to improve the M5 motorway junction at Portishead will start in September.

This will include installing new sets of traffic lights on the two A369 approaches to junction 19 and also widening the road to create additional, short lanes at both these approaches. An extra, merging exit lane toward Portishead will also be made.

The final phase will also see the creation of a high-occupancy vehicle lane on the Martcombe Road approach and the installation of traffic lights at the A369 junctions with St Georges Hill and Portbury High Street, both of which are part of the Greater Bristol Bus Network transport scheme.

It is hoped the will help to improve traffic flow at the busy junction.

The majority of the work will be carried out at night and has been planned for September to avoid the peak holiday period.

The first two phases of work, carried out by the Highways Agency and North Somerset Council, have been completed on time and budget.

This has included refurbishing existing traffic lights, replacing crash barriers, repairing highway drainage and

resurfacing the carriageway, all at the roundabout. The northbound on slip road has also been widened from a single to a dual-lane merge slip.