The unveiling of plans for a new M5 junction in Somerset has been made public during a community exhibition featuring updated blueprints for a ‘gigafactory’. The proposed junction, referred to as ‘22A’, is part of a substantial £150m investment in the Gravity site, aiming to enhance vital infrastructure between Puriton and Woolavington.
Agratas has presented revised blueprints for the initial phase of the gigafactory, including the early stages of a ring road that is projected to connect to a new motorway junction with Enterprise Way. The precise location for this junction has been identified in these proposals, with National Highways expressing commitment to realizing the development “at the earliest opportunity.”
Local residents had the chance to preview Agratas' plans during a public consultation at Woolavington Village Hall. The planned junction 22A is intended to be located just north of the disused freight line historically serving the Gravity location, a line that may see a potential revival with the expansion of the gigafactory project.
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The chosen location for the junction is confined by the nearby Huntspill River and the adjacent nature reserve, which borders the Gravity site to the north. Due to these limitations and in a cost-reduction effort, the proposed junction 22A will exclusively cater to southbound traffic heading to the gigafactory.
It will include a single slip road off the southbound carriageway for vehicles from Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, and Highbridge, as well as another slip road for northbound M5 traffic.
As a result, motorists aiming to access the site from the south, specifically from Bridgwater, Taunton, and Wellington, will be directed to continue using junction 23 while improvements are underway, and then proceed along Enterprise Way to reach the site’s southern entry point. National Highways has stated that the specific design and configuration will be determined in the initial design phase, with a commitment to expedite the development for impact mitigation.
Colin Bird, the regional delivery director, mentioned, “Due to the committed future development expected in the Bridgwater, Puriton, and surrounding area, we are exploring ways to support this growth and the impact to our roads” as reported by SomersetLive. National Highways is working with the government to explore potential solutions, including the new junction, to alleviate additional pressure on the M5 between junctions 22 and 23.
Under the investment plan for the Gravity site, up to £74m will be allocated for “strategic site access and movement” projects, encompassing the new motorway junction, the ring road around the Gravity site, and potentially the restoration of the rail link.
National Highways is anticipated to conduct public engagement events on the draft proposals before the year’s end, providing an opportunity for local residents and businesses to provide feedback before formal plans are submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT).