RESIDENTS are being invited to find out more about EDF Energy’s plans to improve two road junctions in Bridgwater as part of the development consent order for Hinkley Point C.

A drop-in session will be held in Room 17-18, The Exchange, Express Business Park, in Bridgwater on Wednesday, November 16, from 3.30pm to 7pm.

It will be an opportunity for people to meet members of the project team behind the work and learn more about a temporary one-way system which will be in place during the improvements.

The highway upgrade will see the width of the right-turn lane from Bristol Road into The Drove being increased and the junction made safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Traffic lights will also be upgraded at the Wylds Road junction with The Drove and a left-turn slip road created from Western Way into Wylds Road, together with safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

David Eccles, head of stakeholder engagement for Hinkley Point C, said EDF Energy was determined to minimise the impact of the new power station by investing in road improvements.

He said: “We have worked closely with local councils, organisations and residents on a series of road improvements across the area.

“The works in northern Bridgwater will improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians and the new lights at The Drove will link in with others already in the town to help traffic flow more freely.”

During the works, temporary traffic lights will be manually controlled during busy periods to ensure disruption is minimised.

The proposals have been met with some criticism, with Bridgwater Town Council suggesting EDF should be made to compensate businesses who can prove they have been directly affected financially by the roadworks.

The upgrade is planned to start in early 2017 and should be complete by the summer. It forms part of a £16 million package of road improvements paid for by EDF Energy to provide a permanent lasting legacy from the new Hinkley Point C development.

During the works, Wylds Road will temporarily become one-way, with traffic only able to enter from The Drove and drive in the direction of Bristol Road.

A temporary bus stop will also be created at the junction of Wylds Road and Bristol Road.