Contractor appointed to deliver key town centre scheme
A contractor has been appointed to complete a pedestrian and cycle route in a Somerset town.
The Board of Bridgwater Town Deal has announced the appointment of Taylor Woodrow as main contractors for the delivery of Bridgwater’s landmark Celebration Mile – a pedestrian and cycle friendly route connecting the railway station to the revamped Northgate Docks.
Forming the ‘back-bone’ of Bridgwater’s revitalised town centre, Celebration Mile is designed celebrate the town’s rich history and culture.
The project aims to create a vibrant and welcoming experience for visitors to the town centre which supports active travel, including improved pedestrian and cycling routes through the town.
Ahead of construction, the Bridgwater Town Deal Board will be holding a ‘Meet the Team’ drop in on Tuesday, 23 July, at Bridgwater Library, from 3pm-7pm inviting all local businesses and residents to hear more about the next phase of the project, share their views and for the team to address any queries or concerns.
Ros Wyke, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets and Bridgwater Town Deal board member said: “I’m delighted to have Taylor Woodrow on board and look forward to the start of construction just a few weeks away. This is a fantastic project for Bridgwater; it’s a key part of the Town Deal regeneration vision for the town and we are hoping that by providing a single, safe and thriving active travel route from the Train Station to the Docks it will transform the way people get around, easing congestion, improving air quality and bringing more people into Bridgwater to visit and shop.”
The scheme aims to re-energise the centre of Bridgwater by improving footfall and encouraging visitors to spend more time in the town centre.
Work in the three interlinked areas of Eastover, Clare Street and Angel Crescent is expected to start in the next few weeks and is anticipated to take approximately 14 months.
The Celebration Mile route will include coordinated high quality public realm materials, street furniture, shared surfaces, paving, lighting, street trees, interpretative material, public art, and improved wayfinding to these sections of Bridgwater’s public realm.
Traffic management measures will be introduced during the construction phase and some road closures will be required at different stages.
Toby Lander, operations manager for Taylor Woodrow added: “We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with Somerset Council on this exciting regeneration project in the heart of Bridgwater and are looking forward to delivering an active travel route throughout the town, whilst making the areas both safe and attractive to its users.
“As always, we will be working closely with all impacted local businesses and residents and would like to thank our stakeholders in advance and look forward to meeting them at the drop in.”
