Major road upgrade finished ahead of schedule

A series of major road and junction improvements in Bridgwater have been completed some six weeks ahead of schedule.

The upgrade has included widening the right-turn lane from Bristol Road into The Drove and making the junction safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Traffic lights have also been upgraded at the Wylds Road junction with The Drove and a left-turn slip road created from Western Way into Wylds Road, together with additional safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Drove and Bristol Road have also been resurfaced as part of the work, which has been carried out by EDF Energy as part of a £20 million package of local road improvements in association with its Hinkley Point C project.

Lucy Holt, EDF Energy’s project manager, thanked residents, traders and motorists for their patience during the improvement work.

“We did all we could to lessen the impact of the works, which included a temporary one-way system around the town, and did our best to complete them before the peak summer holiday traffic.

“I would like to thank local people for their patience as well as our contractor, the Somerset Infrastructure Alliance, for working hard to ensure the early completion of the upgrade.” 

The alliance is a collaboration between Bridgwater firm R K Bell Group Ltd, Skanska and Bristol-based Forest Traffic Management Limited. The company is also currently working on a new park and ride facility off the A39 on the outskirts of Cannington to serve the Hinkley Point C site.

Somerset County Councillor David Hall, Cabinet Member for Resources and Economic Development, welcomed the completion of the scheme: “It’s great news that these works have been finished well ahead of schedule because they are essential to helping the flow of traffic in the town.

“Everyone involved has done their best to keep disruption during the works to a minimum and we thank everyone for their patience.”

Cllr Peter Downing, Sedgemoor District Council’s portfolio holder for Infrastructure echoed his sentiments: “The Drove/Wylds Road roadworks were clearly necessary to minimise the impact of Hinkley Point C related traffic through Bridgwater even though some disruption was inevitable.

“As a regular user of that route, my own experience is that the diversions have been well managed

“It is particularly pleasing that the works have now been completed six weeks ahead of schedule and I hope that others will share my appreciation of a job well done.”