The A38 Flyover at Filton is set for ‘major’ maintenance work as council warns of traffic chaos until December
The underside of the A38 flyover at Filton(Image: Google Maps)
Motorists in the Bristol area are bracing for significant disruption as long-term maintenance work commences on the A38 Flyover at Filton, a key commuter route.
Starting on Monday (May 19), the essential works led by South Gloucestershire Council are not anticipated to conclude until December. Bristol Live readers are not looking forward to the inevitable delays.
The flyover, located at the junction with Gypsy Patch Lane, is undergoing “major” repairs that will impact traffic flow until year’s end.
The area serves as a hub for large employers including Royal Mail, the Ministry of Defence and Airbus, which typically results in heavy congestion during peak travel times.
In a recent Facebook update, the council’s roads team shared: “Essential maintenance work on the A38 Flyover will start on 19 May and is scheduled to be completed in December.
“Several major components of the bridge are nearing the end of their design life and need to be replaced to avoid weight restrictions or road closures in the future.
“The seven-month phased project means there needs to be some short-term restrictions under the flyover – which will include the narrowing of lanes.
“There will also be some overnight closures and a full closure of the flyover in the summer months. Signed diversions will be in place and we apologise for any inconvenience these works may cause.”
The council’s website also said that the flyover at the junction with Gypsy Patch Lane will face a complete shutdown throughout July and August, alongside several individual overnight closures at different intervals.
Throughout the duration of the project, there will be intermittent lane closures and turning restrictions at certain times, a temporary suspension of some on-street parking spaces, and the temporary relocation of the northbound slip lane bus stop.
For the entire duration, both northbound and southbound slip roads will be reduced to a single lane.
Commenter Saytoday35 asks: “Gypsy Patch Lane was closed for a very long time, so why weren’t the bridge repairs done then? Talk about lack of planning.”
Floweryone agrees: “They closed Gypsy Patch Lane for three and a half years when they initially claimed the work would take seven months? And then blamed COVID.”
Grockel1 adds: “Rat runs and congestion will reign.”
Jubblyone4 says: “Great. All these road works are going on at the same time (A38 from Almondsbury to Thornbury), A38 near Filton runway, Henbury/Brentry road from Westbury to Cribbs. Almost like no one bothered to consider what else was going on and whether this would be a good thing.”
Got2say agrees: “Clearly they don’t think there is already enough chaos in the area, what with the work already going on on the A38 by the airfield, the bus lane works in Henbury and the fact there is no bridge on Badminton Rd! Surely they could have put a weight restriction in place until at least one of the other projects is finished.”
Clive Hodges retorts: “If it needs doing, it needs doing!”
Dis1954 writes: “Time scales for council run repairs seem to get longer for no reason, the volunteer flyover in Barking was dismantled and re-built over a weekend. Abroad, they build new flyovers in a weekend, but in England we take six months plus.”
Fadinging agrees: “People will be moaning why buses are running late, it seems there are never ending roadworks in Bristol.”
Helen Lewis adds: “Looking forward to Filton and surrounding areas being gridlocked. Hopefully there won’t be any incidents on the M5.”
Do you think there are too many road projects going on in Bristol at the moment? Have your say in our comments section.