The company responsible for building one of the main Crossrail depots has been handed a £328M contract to dual the A358 in Somerset if planning permission is granted.

London-based firm Taylor Woodrow was awarded a contract back in 2014 to build a new depot at Old Oak Common where 33 of the new 'Elizabeth Line' trains serving the capital could be serviced.

Highways England announced on Wednesday (April 7) that the company would be responsible for designing and delivering a new dual carriageway to connect the Southfields roundabout in Ilminster to Junction 25 of the M5 at Taunton.

The agency will be holding further public consultation on the proposals for the dualling later in the year, before a formal application is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

Highways England announced its preferred route for the dualled A358 in June 2019, with the dualled carriageway following the route of the existing road between Ilminster and just south of the existing junction with the A378 towards Langport.

At this point, the route will veer to the west (with a new junction with the A378 being created) and will bypass the villages of Henlade and Thornfalcon before joining the M5 junction near the Nexus 25 business park.

Taylor Woodrow and its partners have already begun to undertake ground investigation work and environmental surveys ahead of the new designs being drawn up.

Andrew Alcorn, Highways England's programme leader for the A358, said: "We are delighted to be working with Taylor Woodrow to move forward this vital scheme.

"They have an extensive track record working with us and delivering large scale infrastructure projects, so we are confident they will deliver a scheme that will support economic growth, improve traffic flows at peak times and make the road safer."

Taylor Woodrow managing director Julian Gatward added: "We are pleased to have been awarded the contract to deliver such a significant improvement for motorists and the local community.

"We are committed to contributing to the local community whilst supporting economic growth in the area."

The A358 scheme is one of three major infrastructure projects which are designed to provide an unbroken dual carriageway between the M3 and M5.

The government gave the go-ahead for upgrading the A303 near Stonehenge in November 2020 (though this is subject to a legal challenge), and green-lit a scheme to dual the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester in January.

Highways England estimates the A358 scheme will reduce traffic through Henlade by almost 90 per cent and will be instrumental in attracting new businesses to the Nexus 25 site.

Paula Hewitt, Somerset County Council's lead director for economic and community infrastructure, said: "It's great to see this significant step forward with the project.

"The A358/A303 is an important transport corridor, and this long-awaited and vital improvement will provide a massive boost for the economy of Somerset, as well as improving connectivity and travel times."

Highways England plans to hold a new round of public consultation in the autumn, after which it will formally submit plans for the new road to the Planning Inspectorate.

Like the A303 schemes, a public inquiry will be held to air concerns about the scheme – though it is unclear at this stage how this will be staged in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Planning Inspectorate will then submit its findings from the inquiry to the Department of Transport, with transport secretary Grant Shapps MP having the final say.