Brean Parish Council

November start for Bridgwater Dunball roundabout improvement works

Work on a major upgrade of the busy Dunball roundabout linking
Bridgwater and Junction 23 of the M5 is set to commence in November.

Somerset Council’s Executive has approved the award of a contract to
deliver the scheme to Centregreat following a tendering process and
funding has been confirmed from the Department for Transport.
The total value of the project and associated active travel schemes is
£10.7m and is wholly funded by ring-fenced Government and partner
funding, and developer contributions. The condition of the funding is that
it must be used to deliver the Dunball scheme on a previously agreed
time scale.

The project will see the roundabout layout improved to increase capacity
and traffic flow at peak times, reducing congestion in the long term.
There will also be better walking and cycling facilities.

Dunball comes at a busy time for Bridgwater with major ongoing work on
two important schemes in the area. These projects represent a big
investment in the area, but also brings significant pressure on the road
network in and around Bridgwater.

Agratas power supply works
Work on several roads needed to connect the battery cell facility in
Puriton to the Bridgwater substation. These include some closures and
traffic management is expected to continue into early spring next year,
including some work on Puriton Hill.

The Celebration Mile
Work to deliver Bridgwater’s Celebration Mile, a walking, and cycling
between the station and the town centre is continuing apace. This also
involves road closures and traffic management and is set to complete
autumn 2025.

Ideally, the work would be staggered, but all the projects are highly time-
sensitive and - in the case of Celebration Mile and Dunball – funding
must be spent within a certain timescale.

Working together
The Council’s Streetworks Team is working closely with the contractors
on all three schemes to minimise disruption for residents and businesses
when work commences on Dunball.

The team is constantly reviewing traffic management with the contractor
working for Agratas and making changes where possible. However, a
level of disruption is unavoidable.

We will be giving as much notice as we can when there is significant
disruption, to allow people to plan and to promote alternative routes
where possible.

Key Dunball facts

•  Work is due to start week commencing 11 November and is
  expected to take about 12 months.
•  As well as improving capacity and traffic flow and helping to
  prevent queuing back on to the motorway junction and slip road,
  the Dunball scheme will improve walking and cycling access as
  part of the scheme’s commitment to active travel and improved
  links into Bridgwater.
  This includes a toucan crossing at the north side to ensure safer
  crossing of the busy A38 as part of the route through Downend to
  Puriton.
•  Most of the improvements will be done with lane closures and
  temporary traffic signals in place but the scheme will require some
  short-term evening closures of the link road between the Dunball
  roundabout and J23 in early 2025.
  People will still be able to enter and exit the M5 via J23 following
  diversion routes.
  Advanced notice will be issued, and diversion routes published as
  soon as possible. The team will do its utmost to minimise
  disruption on the network.
•  The junction will have traffic signals and a ‘through about’ lane, in
  a similar arrangement to one introduced on the Westlands
  roundabout in Yeovil during the Western Corridor works a few
  years ago.
  The aim is to ease peak traffic flow through this crucial route which
  links the town to Junction 23 of the M5, along with the Gravity
  Smart Campus in Puriton, site of the proposed Agratas Gigafactory
  which is set to create 4,000 jobs in Somerset. 
•  The Dunball scheme contributes to the creation of a complete
  walking, cycling and wheeling route from the centre of Bridgwater
  along the A38 corridor, which will stretch from the Gravity site to
  the town centre, including upgraded provision planned at the
  Canon Cross Rifles Roundabout.
  A significant part of the A38 Active Travel corridor has already
  been completed along the A38. 
•  As well as a contribution from Government, the project has been
  funded jointly by developer contributions, the Heart of the
  Southwest Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) National Highways,
  and Bridgwater Town Deal.  
• The Council’s Communications Team will be liaising regularly with
  Agratas and contractors to update the public and stakeholders as
  these various projects progress.