Road closures ahead as work on controversial Bristol bus lanes to start before Christmas

Work to install bus lanes on one of Bristol's busiest main roads is set to start next month. The council has said the installation of a segregated cycleway and bus lanes will improve the reliability of the number 1 bus and safety for pedestrians, wheelers and cyclists.

The work starts in Henbury on Thursday, December 12. But the plans have been controversial with locals after concerns the lanes could cause more problems and congestion. Local councillors Mark Weston and Bador Uddin (Con, Henbury and Brentry) have claimed that while they support the crossing and the cycle lane, the bus lane will cause more congestion, traffic jams and pollution for the residents living nearby.

The work will take place on Passage Road – the A4018 dual carriage way between Crow Lane roundabout and Charlton Road. It includes:

• Installing a segregated two-way cycleway on the eastern side of Passage Road

• Creating peak-hour bus lanes on both sides of the dual carriageway that will be in use from 7am to 10am and 4pm to 6.30pm

• Moving the pedestrian crossing by the roundabout closer to Knole Lane and Crow Lane

• Creating a pedestrian crossing to the north of Dragons Well Road

• Narrowing the Brentry Lane and Passage Road junction

This work is the first phase in a series of transport improvements in preparation for the thousands of new homes that are being built nearby in South Gloucestershire as part of the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood on the former airfield in Filton.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “With our road network at capacity and a pressing need to plan for many more people travelling in and around Bristol, we must offer viable alternatives for car use to our residents and people commuting. To make public transport and active travel realistic and appealing options, we need to transform Bristol’s transport infrastructure, working alongside neighbouring local authorities. Changing road layouts, to make it quicker to travel by bus and safer to walk, wheel and cycle, is a vital step in making this a reality.

“While the construction work is taking place, we’ll be encouraging everyone who usually travels through the area to take advantage of up to £100 of travel offers, including free bus, Park & Ride, and rail vouchers, and free bike loans, cycling training and much more.”

It will take up to two years to complete the work on Passage Road, which also includes moving the central reservation, relocating a water main, and replacing the concrete road surface. The project will start with some preparatory work in the lead up to Christmas. The main roadworks will start in early 2025, which will include lane closures on the dual carriageway.

Passage Road will remain open for the majority of the construction phase, but there will be short periods when it will need to close for resurfacing, which is likely to be overnight. Signs will go up and diversions put in place.

The project is being delivered over two phases. This first phase, on Passage Road, is set to cost £6 million and is being funded by the UK government through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement secured by the West of England Combined Authority. Funding for the second phase - which includes transport improvements on the A4018 between Charlton Road and the junction with Westbury Hill and Westbury Road - is expected to come from section 106 developer contributions negotiated by South Gloucestershire Council.