Village bypass opens to traffic

A bypass to protect a Wiltshire village opens on Friday, with the project to be fully completed in the coming weeks.

The bypass will take the majority of the 18,000 vehicles that pass daily through Semington away from the village, says the council.

Councillor Fleur de Rhe Philipe said: "This road will improve the quality of life for people in Semington by diverting traffic from their homes."

The 2.5 mile bypass has taken 14 months and cost £12m to complete.

A navigable aqueduct which carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over Semington as part of the bypass scheme opened earlier this month.