“The A432 has a poor safety record, and we want to make it safer”Stapleton Road

Roads bosses plan to make a five and a half mile stretch of the A432 safer after it was revealed people are being injured at a rate of almost once a week.

Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council are proposing a range of safety measures along the route starting from the A4174 junction in South Gloucestershire and heading southwest through Downend, Fishponds and Easton.

Ed Plowden, chair of the Bristol’s transport and connectivity committee, said: “The A432 has a poor safety record, and we want to make it safer and to feel more welcoming for everyone – whether you’re walking, wheeling, cycling or driving.

“The proposed road safety measures are designed to reduce collisions and make it easier for people to move around more safely and reliably. They also support our climate goals by encouraging more sustainable travel. I encourage people across both areas to take part in the consultation and tell us what matters most to you.”

Over a three-year period there were 140 collisions on the A432 – including one fatal, 11 serious and 128 slight collisions – resulting in 149 casualties.

The project aims to improve driver behaviour on the road to significantly reduce the chance of road traffic incidents especially serious ones. Modelling suggests the measures could reduce the most serious incidents by over 30 per cent on some roads.

Proposals include reducing some speed limits from 30mph to 20mph, new and improved pedestrian crossings, measures to slow down traffic plus new road markings and signage.

Chris Willmore, cabinet member for transport at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “This is one of the busiest routes in our area, and we know safety is a real concern for residents and businesses.

“These proposals are designed to make the road safer for everyone and provide improvements to encourage more people to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport. Please let us know your thoughts, your feedback is vital to help us get this right.”

Just over two miles of the route falls within South Gloucestershire including Badminton Road and Downend Road. Three miles falls within the city of Bristol including Fishponds Road and Stapleton Road.

The £2.27million scheme is being funded by the Department for Transport through its Safer Roads Fund. This funding was secured after the Road Safety Foundation highlighted the A432 route between the A4174 and Bristol city centre posed a significant risk of fatal and serious injuries. Bristol City Council will spend £1.18million and South Gloucestershire Council will spend £1.08million of the total fund to deliver the improvements across the network. The A432 Safer Roads survey is running until midnight on February 13.