A NEW £100 million motorway junction on the M5 in Somerset will be built between Burnham-on-Sea and Bridgwater – serving the new £4 billion gigafactory near Puriton.

The scheme, overseen by the Regional Delivery Partnership, has named builder Costain as the contractor for the new junction, set to be 22A.

It is estimated it will be some five years in the making, providing access to the Gravity Smart Campus and the gigafactory being developed by Agratas, which is set to be Britain’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant.

Costain said it is hoped the junction, which will consist of north-facing slip roads, “will alleviate congestion on the motorway south of the Huntspill river”.

“This award is built on our long-established highways delivery expertise and trusted partner relationship with National Highways,” said Alex Vaughan, chief executive officer.

“We will work closely with our supply chain partners to design and deliver this new junction that will provide access to the new gigafactory and help to drive economic growth in this region of the UK.

“This investment, supporting the UK’s growth ambitions, is another example of Costain’s commitment to deliver critical national infrastructure programmes that improve people’s lives.”

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The Agratas Tata gigafactory is set to be built in Puriton, near Bridgwater