Bristol commuter road faces three months of delays
Motorists are being warned to expect three months of disruption as work begins on installing traffic lights at a roundabout on a major route to Bristol.
Work began on the project at Hicks Gate roundabout at Keynsham on Monday.
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Charles Gerrish at the A4 roundabout at Hicks Gate in Bristol
It is part of a £60 million project aimed cutting congestion and improving public transport links.
The roundabout is at the junction of the A4174 Avon Ring Road, the A4 between Bristol and Bath and Durley Hill leading to Keynsham.
There are always queues during the morning and evening rush hour but Bath and North East Somerset Council believes the installation of traffic lights will improve the situation.
Work to install the lights will take three months.
The Hicks Gate traffic lights project is being funded through the Greater Bristol Bus Network which is funded through central government via the West of England Partnership.
Councillor Charles Gerrish, who is responsible for customer services said: "Bath and North East Somerset Council is pleased to be starting these works that are an important part of our plan to tackle congestion across the area.
"As a Keynsham councillor, I am aware that many people have been calling for this for many years.
"Road safety will be improved and we hope there will be less congestion at Hicks Gate with a configuration of the traffic lights letting cars, bikes, and buses out of junctions at sensible intervals."
Keynsham Town councillor Kate Simmons, 29, of St Ladoc Road, said the traffic lights would be a help for motorists trying to negotiate the roundabout from the Keynsham direction.
She said: "There is usually little traffic coming out of Bristol except at peak times which means the traffic leaving the Ring Road and Keynsham bypass has little to hinder it.
"This means traffic coming from Keynsham has to take a risk and edge out onto the yellow box to have any chance of getting onto the roundabout.
"Personally I welcome anything that gives the right of way to people coming from Keynsham."
The new signals will incorporate the latest technology which monitors traffic volumes and will automatically adjust signal timings at the four roundabout junctions.
There will also be an additional bus lane on the final section of the Keynsham bypass heading towards Bristol.
Town councillor Gillian Hellier, of Orwell Drive, Keynsham, said: “I most definitely welcome traffic lights at Hicks Gate roundabout.
“There are big hold-ups at peak periods.”
But another Keynsham town councillor Tony Crouch, of Lays Drive, said: “I think a lot of money is being spent for very little improvement.
“I always thought you had traffic lights or a roundabout, not both.”
There will be a 40 mph speed limit on all the approaches to the roundabout.
High friction surfacing will also be installed to encourage drivers to slow down.
There have been 38 accidents at the roundabout in the past five years, resulting in 45 minor injuries.
Work is also due to start on traffic lights on other Avon Ring Road roundabouts in the South Gloucestershire area.
28 Comments
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by Mrs B, Bristol
Monday, April 06 2009, 3:55PM
“I should think £1million will be spent to buy the traffic lights and cables etc and the other £59million will be spent on cups of tea for the "workers" for want of a word.
We thought the Highways agency were going to improve Kingswood's traffic, but I can only assume that the councillor in charge of Kingswood is a blind, one armed cyclist from the outer Hebrides. What idiot closes off the main High Street to through traffic and diverts it through the back streets? And we pay these people to mess up our roads! Perhaps if they spent the money more wisely on resurfacing every road in Bristol, we would have less bills to pay when we take our cars in to be serviced.”
by Captain Obvious, Obvious HQ
Tuesday, March 31 2009, 9:03AM
“Personally I think it's a great idea, this junction is a nightmare at the best of times and the traffic jams I can see from the rail line extend at least 1/2 mile toward Keynsham.”
by D.Ashworth, Nuremburg
Monday, March 30 2009, 8:11PM
“In this computer age,Is it not possible to regulate the traffic with computer controlled lights?Here in Nuremburg on the heavily used ring the lights change to green as you approach.This allows approx 20 cars etc through before the red comes to allow cross traffic to move.It`s not perfect but on the whole works very well and I can get round a City as big as Bristol in about 15 mins.”
by bighands, bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 7:16PM
“will these lights be part-time or is this ANOTHER set of light to keep drviers waiting for no reason late at night NOT very green!”
by bighands, bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 7:12PM
“are these part-time traffic lights or will I been sat at ANOTHER set of traffic lights in bristol at 11pm for minutes for no reason.”
by burt, bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 6:38PM
“We don't need traffic lights.There are two many already.A experiment years ago proved that drivers are more alert with less traffic lights”
by Jeremy Gardner, Kingswood
Monday, March 30 2009, 6:06PM
“If the three unitaries really wanted to improve traffic flow they wouldn't add traffic lights and further reduce the road capacity. This project is funded by money from govt. which has specific outcomes to improve bus infrastructure but again, does nothing to reduce bus fares. It is a case of 'make the roads so dire that you are forced to get the bus'. I also notice that no attempts have been made by B&NES to add car-parking space at Keynsham traing station which would do a lot to increase public transport use, nor have they looked to create a station at Saltford hill where there is space to do so and have ample parking. Methinks this again points to a lack of local leadership and adds to the case for an elected mayor and transport authority for the greater Bristol area.”
by Ron, Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 4:32PM
“Jon, Bristol i agree that the Road planners know their stuff; however that doesn't mean because they sanction something it is for the best.
I used to work in Newfoundland Road and met some planners to discuss the effects of Cabot Circus and the new road layout, when it was pointed out to them that the proposals weren't very good they said "Don't blame us, our hands are tied as our only brief is NOT to help the flow of the traffic".
This is purely another exercise in getting more congestion and getting us nearer the Congestion charge.”
by johnB, Bristol.
Monday, March 30 2009, 4:30PM
“Oh No,not another roundabout with traffic lights ! !.Surely a Flyover system would be better.
More than likely the idea is to hold back the traffic from the utter chaos when you reach Brislington with it's mass of traffic lights ??.”
by Ron, BRistol
Monday, March 30 2009, 3:31PM
“As usual a pointless "Traffic management" scheme that is solely for the purpose of causing more congestion and thus getting the Congestion charge up and running.
The other rubbish thing is that it's going to deter people from using the Park & Ride for a few months.”