A £40m motorway “ghost junction” which has been left unused since 2019 still has no confirmed opening date, a government minister has said.
The junction above the M49 motorway near Bristol now faces extensive repairs despite never being used by a single vehicle due to defects found little more than a year after it was finished.
In a House of Commons debate Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate asked roads minister Justin Madders if he was as “baffled” as she was by the situation.
Madders said the government had already provided around £10m of support for the junction’s development and said it was not possible to provide a “definitive timeline” for its opening.
The junction between Severn Beach and Chittening had been intended to connect the motorway with the Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area, a major industrial estate.
Speaking in Parliament, Young said residents had faced years of dealing with large lorries travelling along unsuitable country roads, causing safety fears for pedestrians and cyclists as well as disturbing homes.