£300k windfall will for jam-busting roadworks across Bristol area
A GOVERNMENT windfall of nearly £300,000 will be used by councils in the former Avon area to ease traffic congestion.
The money is seen as a reward for work by the West of England Partnership (WEP) to free up nine major routes into Bristol.
Traffic congestion remains one of the biggest issues in the Bristol area with commuters suffering daily in jams in and out of the city.
In April, the Evening Post reported traffic in Bristol is the slowest in the country.
Figures from motoring group the AA showed average car speeds during the Bristol rush hour are around 16.1 miles an hour – the slowest in Britain outside London.
Estimates suggest congestion is costing the greater Bristol area at least £350 million a year and the figure is set to soar to almost £600m by 2016.
Four councils – Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset – make up the WEP and representatives from each sit on a committee to try and address the area's transport issues.
And, despite a predicted congestion growth rate of 14per cent for last year, the partnership has actually managed to cut jams by 0.4 per cent on the nine routes.
As a result, the Department for Transport has granted £289,000 to the WEP, most of which will be spent on the roadworks currently taking place at the Totterdown junction of St John's Lane and the A37 Wells Road.
There are also plans for changes to the junction of York Road and St Luke's Road, in a bid to improve traffic flow.
Mark Bradshaw, Bristol City Council's transport boss, said: “This is a very welcome additional investment by the Government that will help us tackle one or more congestion hotspots in the city and its surrounding sub-region.
“The money has been secured as a reward for the excellent work the partner authorities have been doing together to identify hotspots and set out a clear plan to tackle them.
“It is further evidence of the Government's recognition of the difference that the four authorities' good partnership working across the sub-region is now making.”
Apart from the A37, eight other arterial routes around Bristol have been identified as being in need of investment.
They are: the A4018 up Whiteladies Road and on to junction 17 of the M5; the eastbound and northbound routes of the Avon Ring Road; the A432 to Yate; the A420 to the A46 and Chippenham; the A4 to Keynsham and Bath; the A370 to Weston-super-Mare and the A4 to Avonmouth and Junction 18 of the M5.
Many of these will see showcase bus routes installed, estimated for completion by 2011.
Others will have redesigned traffic junctions and new signalling.
10 Comments
by Alison, Bristol
Monday, July 21 2008, 12:05PM
“What a joke, I'm sure this money is already spent.
What it probably means to us all are more traffic lights at roundabouts and nonsense signs. Follow the German lead and get rid of this roadside junk and let us drive considerately and with thought.
I agree we need links between the M5 and the M4 around the south of Bristol to be completed and links from the A38 to the A37 to be bettered.
Giving money to a Labour/Liberal Council, to spend sensibly, you must be joking!!!”
by Paul, Stoke Gifford
Sunday, July 20 2008, 9:55AM
“It's a joke you know local politicians and the WEP trying to ease tarffic congestion. Did you hear the one from a local councillor the other day (I did) that they are going to put a bus lane around the MoD roundabout at Filton - makes you laugh doesn't it! I'm sure that will help accommodate the extra traffic from 3000 extra jobs. Oh no!”
by Nell Pursey, Knowle
Sunday, July 20 2008, 7:21AM
“Oh no! No more "black forests of traffic lights" etc. please. I agree with Steve 100%. It continues to amaze me how the other 'commentators' fail to see the ulterior motive behind this and that is to bring about total gridlock and future CONgestion. This WEP is nothing but an evil anti- motorist dictatorship. Remember Bristol is the slowest and that's where we shall stay even after they wreak havoc with the nine named arterial routes earmarked for further road chaos. I predict less sleep hours for drivers as they will have to start their journeys at the crack of dawn in the future! Is there no one out there to stop this hellish madness! My days as a Bristol resident will shortly be coming to an end thankfully, but my heart goes out to all of you that have to continue living in this transport nightmare.”
by Steve, Bristol
Saturday, July 19 2008, 7:14PM
“Oh what a laughable story!
The WEP actually improving traffic flow in and around Bristol is tantamount to saying that turkeys vote for Christmas. They want to slow traffic down as justification for their criminal CONgestion Charge - and they're doing a damn fine job!
Congestion costing Bristol £350 million a year? Tosh! How do you work that one out then?
"The money is seen as a reward for work by the West of England Partnership (WEP) to free up nine major routes into Bristol."
Eh? How can it be a reward? They haven't freed anything up at all!!!! And let's face it £289,000 is a drop in the ocean compared to the billions that this city needs to sort out its transport woes. Money that this Labour Govt seems quite happy to give to its mates in London, Cardiff or Up North, but money that can never be found for Bristol.
This story is a total nonsense.”
by Bez, Banwell
Saturday, July 19 2008, 7:03PM
“Hmm, I get your point that Banwell is hardly the centre of the Universe. However, it is the preferred route for HGVs going from the A38 to the M5. The road through the village is narrow and at a couple of points you can't get two cars past each other, never mind a car and an articulated lorry. Hours of fun when two lorries have to pass each other. It is the main route from the A38 to Weston-Super-Mare and is heavily used by commuters. All in all, this makes Banwell a village slowly being strangled by traffic.”
by Joe, Bristol
Saturday, July 19 2008, 3:59PM
“I think a Heads of world Governments meeting should be held as a matter of extreme urgency to discuss the gridlock at Banwell.”
by Jonathon, Somerset
Saturday, July 19 2008, 3:52PM
“Nice one Terrence,where the b----y hell is Banwell.”
by Terrence Conway, Bristol
Saturday, July 19 2008, 3:47PM
“BANWELL,sure, this hamlet is world renound for the terrible traffic chaos,and is mentioned several times a day on traffic reports,only last week I spent several hours stuck in solid traffic there.GET REAL Eric. !!!!!!!”
by Toby, Bristol
Saturday, July 19 2008, 11:24AM
“To put this in perspective, the proposed reworking of the Blackboy Hill junction will cost£584k so £300k is only just over half that amount and it is being divied up among several councils. This is hardly exciting.”
by Eric, Weston-Super-Mare
Saturday, July 19 2008, 9:28AM
“It would be nice if some of the money could be put towards a traffic easing way through Banwell. Some years ago the Gas Cmpany put pipes through the village and it worked like a charm but when the work was finished, the village was asked if they wanted the lights left in situ.
The village turned it down and must surely have regretted it ever since.”