Somerset Council has begun work installing traffic controls on Bridgewater road ahead of the opening of the upcoming Agratas battery facility.
The works, being carried out by Agratas’s contractor, JSM Group Services Ltd, are needed to install underground power cables connecting Gravity site in Puriton to Bridgwater’s electricity substation.
Bower Lane and Westonzoyland Road (A372) will both be affected from next week as the works start. Local residents and businesses have been written to directly.
Traffic will only be able to access the hospital from the A39 direction (Bath Road) and will need to follow a signed diversion via Whitfield Road when exiting.
Both controls start on Monday, 5 August, and are expected to be in place for around a month. Bower Lane is then scheduled to be closed in phases from early September to late December.
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Further works will be needed in Bridgwater later in the year to complete the electricity connection, which is an essential part of the preparation work for the planned facility. Details of these will be shared once confirmed.
Once completed and operational, it is anticipated that this £4bn investment from Agratas will create around 4,000 direct jobs and bring sustainable battery cell technology to Somerset.
Lead member for transport and digital, Richard Wilkins, said: “Everyone knows the huge benefits that would come with the planned facility and what it should mean for jobs and the economy, in Bridgwater and the county as a whole.
“Of course, something on this scale can’t happen without supporting infrastructure, and that means that some disruption to the network is unavoidable.
“We’ll work with Agratas to minimise this where possible, but ask for patience and understanding.”
Achievements and innovations in EV charging infrastructure will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
