The project is expected to improve accessibility for buses, pedestrians and cyclists
Old Market Roundabout
A year-long £4.9m project to improve Temple Way for buses, pedestrians and cyclists is set to begin in December. Although Temple Way will remain open to traffic, delays are expected for the duration of the project.
Lanes will be closed next to areas where work is taking place and there will be overnight closures of the entire road at times in early 2026 and towards the end of the project, with diversions in place.
The main focus of the project will be to add sections of bus lanes on both sides of the road, change the layout of the southbound slip road from Old Market Roundabout and build a two-way separated cycle past on the east side of Temple Way.
Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport and connectivity committee, said: “This marks an important step in our long-term plan to reshape Bristol’s transport network for a cleaner, greener future.
“The Temple Way works are part of a wider programme to make our city centre more accessible, inclusive and resilient, supporting more reliable bus services, safer walking, wheeling and cycling routes, and better public spaces.
“As Bristol grows, we need to make sure our transport system grows with it, offering more sustainable choices and reducing congestion and pollution for everyone.”
The Temple Way project is one of five set to bring huge change, and disruption, to central Bristol over the coming years. Similar projects, also with a focus on improving public and active transport, will take place on Bond Street, Redcliffe Way and the Bedminster Bridges, and in Broadmead where 5,000 more people are expected to live by the time the Galleries have been demolished and replaced largely with homes.
Other changes brought about by the Temple Way project will include upgraded bus stops, new pedestrian and cycle crossings and the planting of trees and plants. The central reservation of Temple Way will also be narrowed.
The project will commence on the southern part of Temple Way, where it meets the Friary near Temple Meads station. Work will then take place in phases going north along the road, finishing at Old Market Roundabout.
The Temple Way scheme is expected to cost ‘around’ £4.9 million and is being funded by the UK government through the Department for Transport’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
WECA mayor Helen Godwin said: “Getting the basics right by fixing our region’s roads and bridges, and improving public transport and walking and cycling options, will lay the foundations for a better transport system overall for the West of England.”
Work on the Temple Way project is scheduled to begin on December 1.