Eastover will be closed to all traffic from January 2 Picture: Google

Key Bridgwater road to close for up to six months

Tait ap EllisDecember 19, 20240 Comment0

BRIDGWATER residents will be faced with a six-month road closure in the New Year.

Eastover in the centre of the town will be closed to all traffic from January 2 for a period of up to six months.

Somerset Council said the closure is needed to carry out the next stage of the Celebration Mile programme of improvements.

The initial plan was to carry out the remaining work on Eastover under the current one-way traffic control system, but unmapped utilities under the road have made this “impossible to do safely,” the council said.

It said there have been several near misses as drivers fail to follow the one-way system and without a full road closure, the remaining work on Eastover is likely to take up to nine months.

“Completing the works sooner should reduce some of the inconvenience to businesses,” a council spokesperson said.

“The full closure will also allow the team to complete works all in one go, rather than returning to the same stretch of road multiple times.

“Eastover will remain open to shoppers and visitors throughout, and extra signs will make it clear the street is open for business.”

Traders and affected residents will be kept informed on the closure.

Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s lead member for economic development, planning and assets, said: “This scheme represents major investment in the town with the aim of making Eastover and the town centre a more attractive destination for visitors and shoppers and increase footfall across the town centre.

“With works of this scale, some disruption is unavoidable, and the team has taken the difficult decision that the best way to get this done quickly is a full road closure.

“This wasn’t the original plan, but as with all projects like this there are often unexpected complications that forces a change of approach.”

Celebration Mile is one of 11 projects being delivered as part of Bridgwater Town Deal which is bringing £23.2million of government investment through projects, to help boost the social, cultural and economic offerings in the town centre.

The project forms the ‘backbone’ town centre improvements, aiming to re-energise the centre of Bridgwater by making it more accessible and welcoming to shoppers, residents and visitors.