SOFT soil is threatening to delay building work on the Semington and Melksham bypass.

Contractors working on the £11.3 million bypass have discovered the soil is softer than first predicted.

Now the land will have to be dug up and replaced with deeper foundations costing £750,000 to prevent the new road from sinking.

Adam Butcher, County Council spokesman, said: "Early soil tests didn't reveal the extent of the problem and now deeper foundations will be dug than was first anticipated.

"Depending on the weather in the autumn the opening may be delayed."

Now taxpayers face a bill of £750,000 to import tonnes of extra hard core.

The 4km bypass was expected to open next summer but contractors believed it could open before Christmas.

The new road will start near Melksham and emerge near the west Wiltshire crematorium and will redirect 20,000 lorries and cars and other vehicles every day.

Only buses and emergency traffic will be allowed to use the road through the village once the new route opens.

The project includes an aqueduct to carry the Kennet and Avon canal over the road and a three-span bridge over Seming-ton Brook.