DRIVERS on the A39 in Puriton will be faced with weeks of roadworks next week as part of plans to build the Agratas facility.

Roads around the planned site of the multi-billion-pound battery facility are being upgraded as part of preparation works.

Previous work saw the facility connected to the National Grid, and further connectivity work has now been planned.

To facilitate this, Crandon Bridge on the A39 will see temporary traffic lights from Tuesday, March 4 to Tuesday, March 18.

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“We appreciate this is likely to cause disruption at peak times, so drivers are being urged to plan ahead,” a Somerset Council spokesperson said.

The next major set of works will connect the Gravity site to various utilities.

This requires the phased closure of sections of Woolavington Road between the Enterprise Way roundabout and Woolavington Village.

These closures will start from April 14 and will last for up to five months. Details of which sections will be closed when will be shared locally when they have been finalised.

The schedule of roadworks Picture: Somerset Council

“Gravity and Agratas’ contractors will be doing their best to complete the works in less than five months,” a council spokesperson said.

The council says its traffic management team has been liaising with contractors to coordinate their work and make sure they access to the road together, instead of the road needing to be closed multiple times.

The contractor will need to return later in the year to carry out further works on the A39 Bath Road and Puriton Hill to complete the power connection, but this will not happen at the same time as the Woolavington Road closure.

Elsewhere, work is also ongoing to improve capacity at the Dunball roundabout linked to Junction 23 of the M5.

There will need to be some evening closures of the A39 link road between J23 and Dunball. The motorway junction will remain open and a diversion will be in place.

The closures are from 7.30pm to 5am from:

• Monday, March 3

• Thursday, April 3 to Monday, April 7 (inclusive)

• Monday, May 12 to Wednesday, May 21

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and waste services said: “The Agratas facility is a huge investment in Somerset and will be a massive long-term boost for the local area and county as a whole.

“Investment of this kind always brings some unavoidable disruption and we are incredibly grateful for everyone’s support and patience – the end goal will be worth it.

“Our team has been working closely with all contractors to make sure that if we need a closure like this all necessary connectivity work is done in one go, without the need to return at a later date.

“We understand that closing Woolavington Road it is no small thing and we are hopeful that everything can be done in less than five months. We have been in contact with community leaders, residents and businesses to ensure any disruption is mitigated as much as possible.”

Somerset Council says the Agratas facility will bring massive investment to the area and up to 4,000 jobs at the Gravity site.