Details of Somerset's newest motorway junction were unveiled at a public exhibition showcasing revised plans for the county's forthcoming 'gigafactory'.
Initially hinted at in June 2024 as part of the £150m Gravity locality investment plan, the new M5 junction, referred to as '22A', is set to support infrastructure development for the £4bn factory situated between Puriton and Woolavington.
Agratas has recently updated its plans for the gigafactory's initial phase, which includes the start of a ring road destined to connect with the future motorway junction at Enterprise Way.
The updated proposals have pinpointed the prospective location for junction 22A, with National Highways expressing its intention to proceed with construction "at the earliest opportunity".
The revised plans were presented to the public during a drop-in session at Woolavington Village Hall last Tuesday evening (April 1).
The planned junction 22A is to be located just north of the old freight line that previously served the Gravity site, which may be reinstated as the gigafactory project progresses.
Constraints on the junction's placement arise from the nearby Huntspill River and an adjacent nature reserve, both bordering the northern edge of the Gravity site.
In a bid to manage costs and traffic constraints, Junction 22A will only cater to southbound traffic heading to the gigafactory. The design includes one slip road on the southbound site for vehicles coming from Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Highbridge, and another northbound slip road to return them to the M5.
Traffic from the south, including Bridgwater, Taunton and Wellington, will continue to use Junction 23, which is currently undergoing upgrades, and follow Enterprise Way to the southern entrance.
National Highways, responsible for maintaining and upgrading England's motorway network, stated that the exact design and layout would be confirmed during the early design work. They are aiming to deliver this scheme as soon as possible.
Colin Bird, regional delivery director, said: "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.
"We are working with the government to explore opportunities, including a new junction, to alleviate additional pressure on the M5 between junctions 22 and 23.
"As plans develop, we will engage with local stakeholders to ensure they are informed of proposals and how it may impact them."
The cost to deliver the new junction has not been confirmed by National Highways.
The agency is anticipated to host public engagement events on the draft proposals before the year concludes, providing an opportunity for local residents and businesses to offer their feedback prior to the submission of formal plans to the Department for Transport (DfT).
