Chard & Ilminster News
·Aug 2026
Clinton Rogers: Somerset's continuing problems with the M5
Clinton Rogers describes enduring a four-hour M5 closure near Bridgwater after a man climbed onto vehicles, followed by another incident on the same stretch. He highlights National Highways statistics showing that Somerset accounts for nearly a third of South West motorway incidents involving people in crisis despite having 12.9% of the region’s motorway network. The column argues that suicidal people are unlikely to consider the disruption they cause and questions whether bridge barriers or greater reliance on trains could reduce closures, while acknowledging the scale and complexity of the problem.