More delays ahead on busy Bristol commuter road
There will be more delays for commuter traffic into Bristol when road works begin at the Three Lamps junction in Totterdown.
The main A37 Wells Road and A4 Bath Road converge at the junction, where work begins on Sunday – to benefit buses and cyclists.
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More delays ahead on busy Bristol commuter road
This will be in addition to Wales and West Utilities digging up parts of the A37 at Whitchurch for the next six months to replace an ageing metal gas main with plastic pipes.
There will be temporary traffic lights at the junction for the next two Sundays, after Bristol City Council has ordered the work to be done at the junction ahead of scheduled resurfacing.
During the week there will be changes to lane allocations, either allowing buses will be in the main traffic lane or cars in the bus lane.
City council spokeswoman Katharine de Lisle said traffic would be down to a single lane at the junction and delays could be expected but the alterations were aimed at improving traffic flow.
She said: "When the improvements are complete, buses coming inbound on the Wells Road will be able to bypass the lights using a 'give way' lane.
"It will be similar to the system in place at the Jacobs Wells roundabout."
The project is expected to take seven weeks.
It will be havoc for drivers who have to use the A37 to get to and from Bristol.
The Evening Post reported earlier this week that Wales and West Utilities is about to begin a six-month project to replace a gas main at Whitchurch.
One lane of the dual carriageway will have to be closed while the work is carried out and there will be temporary traffic lights on the junction of Wells Road and Wharnecliffe Gardens.
Work was due to start on Wednesday but there was no sign of the road being dug up yesterday.
The work forms part of a multi-million-pound, 30-year programme across Wales and the South West to replace metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings with plastic pipes that last more than 80 years.
6 Comments
by geoff, clifton
Friday, October 09 2009, 11:29PM
“typical of this council thinking to improve a junction.but only make it worse with more traffic lights.”
by Paul, Bristol
Friday, October 09 2009, 4:11PM
“Many thanks Joe, I believe a good way to summarise would be 'If it's not broke, don't fix it!'
Other Paul - I believe you can find their contact details on the BCC website under 'transport'.”
by Paul, bs3
Friday, October 09 2009, 3:12PM
“Hundreds of thousands of pounds (at least) to save buses a small amount of time at one set of lights. There is already a bus lane. Which idiot signed of that idea?”
by Joe, Bristol
Friday, October 09 2009, 3:00PM
“Paul, the comments section of this site is normally reduced to petty bickering and people with too much time trying to see how many folk they can annoy.
It's refreshing to see a well thought out statement that is irrefutably true. Well done.”
by Paul, Bristol
Friday, October 09 2009, 9:59AM
“It's fairly simple Brian, and goes a little something like this....
1. Council finds perfectly good junction where there is no problem with traffic flow at all.
2. Council messes about with junctions making more congestion, holding up cars and creating tailbacks.
3. Council then claims something needs to be done about congestion in Bristol
4. Council then penalises car owners.”
by Brian, Bristol
Friday, October 09 2009, 7:46AM
“I really don't think the Three Lamps work will be that bad. The bus lane is hardly in use compared to the main lane anyway so there won't be much more traffic.
Which does make you wonder why they're bothering to "improve" something that isn't currently a problem.”