The people of south Bristol have until the end of the month to comment on proposals for a link road through their neighbourhoods.

Five options for connecting the A370 Long Ashton bypass to Hengrove Way have been examined in close detail by traffic consultants.

They have given their report to the West of England Partnership (WEP), a combined group made up of the four former Avon area councils, including Bristol and North Somerset.

Various combinations of new roads, roundabouts and high-speed bus links are on the table.

With no firm decisions on which scheme would be best, people are being invited to have their say on the five options until the end of the month.

But campaigners have criticised the proposals, saying they would sacrifice valuable green belt land and make little difference to traffic congestion in the city.

And they are worried about a paragraph in the consultants' report which says there is scope for converting the new road into a dual carriageway in the future.

The proposed route between the A370 and the Hartcliffe roundabout at Hengrove Park forms the first two phases of the WEP's South Bristol Link project.

Eventually, the plan is to complete the new route all the way to the A4 Hick's Gate roundabout, which is where the existing Avon Ring Road ends.

Mike Landen, chairman of the Alliance Against the South Bristol Ring Road, said: "All the reasons why we didn't like the original scheme all those years ago still apply for most of these latest proposals.

"They still go through the green belt and we think it is really important for Bristol that we try to protect that.

"The other problem we have is that these ideas aren't going to stop the real problem with transport in south Bristol, which is how to get from the fringes into the city centre.

"We would like to see money invested in park and rides and better bus services, but on radial routes into the middle of Bristol, not on routes which skirt around the edge of the city.

"All the evidence shows that if you build a road you just get extra traffic – anyone who believes it's going to solve any problems is just deluded."

Consultants Mott MacDonald and Atkins have considered the pros and cons of five different options for linking Hartcliffe to the Long Ashton bypass.

They would all involve starting at the A370, going over or under the railway line and the A38 before crossing Highridge Common and joining the city's road network at King George's Road.

It would then continue east, with three new signalled junctions, before meeting the western end of Hengrove Way.

The type of system to be used, whether it is a road, a rapid transit bus link or a combination of both, is up for discussion in the consultation.

And the route from the A38 to the A370 is also undecided – most of the options pass under the railway line and meet the Long Ashton bypass near the park and ride site, but there is an alternative to hit the A370 south-west of the village of Yanley.

North Somerset Council's transport leader, Elfan Ap Rees, said: "This information shows how difficult it is to make a decision about how to improve links in the area and to prepare for future growth.

"Firstly, there is no one obvious route and secondly, all options have an impact on someone, somewhere. What we do have to keep in mind is that traffic is already heavy in the area and is expected to increase, plus we need to help the area develop and do what we can to attract new jobs for people in the future.

"The West of England Partnership is committed to working together to attract the funding to make this happen."

Jon Rogers, transport leader at Bristol City Council, said: "As new executive member for transport and sustainability on Bristol City Council, I welcome the extra time to comment on these proposals in the light of the Options Appraisal report.

"We all recognise the need for investment in south Bristol and we must consider carefully how best to deliver such investment."

At present it is unlikely that any project could be started before 2013, and this would be subject to planning consent.

ROAD OPTION 1 Construction cost: £14 million This option would be a single-track road, with potential to expand to a dual carriageway in the future. It would run from a new roundabout on the A370 near the Long Ashton park and ride site, across open farmland and under the railway at the existing underpass. It would then rise to another new roundabout on the A38 north of Castle Farm before crossing into the top corner of Highridge Common. It is seen as a good value for money scheme.

ROAD OPTION 2 Construction cost £10.2 million From the A38 into the built-up areas of south Bristol it is the same as option one. But it starts from a different point on the Long Ashton bypass, south-west of the village of Yanley and skirting the Woodspring Golf and Country Club. Value for money is also rated as good for this scheme by the consultants.

RAPID TRANSIT OPTION Construction cost £12.2 million This scheme would see a rapid transit vehicle – probably a guided bus, possibly a tram-train or a light railway – following largely the same route as the first road option. But north of the railway underpass it would follow the city boundary to connect with the existing park and ride site at Long Ashton. Consultants say this scheme is the worst value for money of the five, but it would offer the option of joining the new rapid transit link to Temple Meads.

HYBRID ROAD/RAPID TRANSIT OPTION A Construction cost £21.7 million The first of two hybrid schemes, it is easily the most expensive of the five. The first part of the route would be a combination of the road from option one and the rapid transit line in option three. The road would end at the A38 but the rapid transit would continue on to the Hengrove Roundabout. Buses would be given priority over cars at some junctions, which would mean new traffic lights have to be built.

HYBRID ROAD/RAPID TRANSIT B Construction cost £16.8 million This option would be the same as the other hybrid, but the road would follow the path of the second road-only option, joining the A38 to the A370 south-west of Yanley village. It is given a good rating by the consultants for its value for money but is highlighted as the worst for visual impact on the surrounding countryside.