A number of major projects will continue in the new year
Photo of set of temporary traffic lights(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
The last twelve months have been notable for the sheer volume of roadworks taking place on routes around Bristol, the vast majority of which have been focused on making improvements for so-called ‘active travel’.
Unfortunately for motorists, but more positively for cyclists and pedestrians, there will be no let up in 2026.
Here’s a list of some of the major projects expected to take place/be completed on roads managed by Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council in the new year.
Bristol City Council
Temple Way
Work to make buses more reliable and routes safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists along the major road between the Old Market roundabout and Temple Meads station started on December 1 .
The £4.9m project is expected to finish in December 2026.
A4 Portway
The council considers its project to upgrade the Portway a “vital step towards creating a more sustainable and connected Bristol”.
The main focuses of the project are the introduction of 24-hour bus lanes and the widening and resurfacing of a shared pedestrian/cyclist pavement.
Work is being done in three phases. The first phase, essential maintenance which included draining works, is complete. The second phase, to widen and resurface the pavements and improve street lighting, began in June this year and was expected to take nine months; this has already been confirmed to have been too optimistic a forecast. At the time of writing, there is no confirmed end date for the second phase. The third phase, which involves building 24-hour bus lanes, reducing some speed limits, improving some junctions, and resurfacing the route – is expected to start in “early 2026” and last fourteen months.
Park Street
A £15.5m revamp of Park Street, which would effectively ban cars from the major shopping district, is expected to begin in 2026. At the time of writing, this remains in doubt. Although BCC has approved the scheme, the West of England Combined Authority – which controls the funding for it – has not signed off on it. The project has proved controversial, with some local business owners warning it could kill the street.
Broadmead
The council is working to make Broadmead more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, with the population of the area expected to massively increase in light of upcoming developments such as the demolition of the Galleries and the construction of hundreds of new homes and student flats in their stead. Improvements are also set to be made to public transport in the city centre.
In spring 2026, work is expected to begin to create, according to the council, more than 11 tennis courts of pedestrian priority space, 1.3km of new separated cycling routes, added taxi ranks, and upgraded bus stops in the Broadmead area.
Plans also include reducing traffic on The Horsefair and Penn Street, closing access from Union Street and creating new access from Haymarket.
Bedminster Bridges
Work to massively transform the “key gateway” between South Bristol and the city centre is expected to begin in spring 2026, pending funding approval from WECA. Changes include removing the roundabout and making each bridge two-way: one for buses only and one for general traffic.
There would also be separate cycle paths as well as quicker crossings and more pavement space for pedestrians.
Redcliffe Way
Similarly to the Bedminster Bridges proposal, the council has not had its proposed changes to Redcliffe Way approved by WECA. If funding for the project is granted, it will start in tandem with the Bedminster Bridges scheme in spring 2026. Along with the cycling and pedestrian improvements common to most council projects, the most significant change if the Redcliffe Way project gets the green light will be the reduction of the speed limit to 20mph.
South Gloucestershire Council
The council is carrying on work on its major transport schemes. The project to install new cycle routes on Bradley Stoke Way, which has proved massively unpopular with locals, is forecast to finish by the end of 2026. A similar project to improve travel by foot, bike or bus on the A38 between the M5 and Thornbury will continue, and is expected to finish in 2027.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Our major transport schemes, funded by the Department for Transport and managed by the West of England Combined Authority, will continue as planned. These include improvements to Bradley Stoke Way, the A432 between Yate and Wick Wick, the A38 and Alveston Hill, Charfield Station, and completion of maintenance on the A38 Gloucester Road Flyover.
“In addition, we will carry on with our annual maintenance programmes and pothole repairs, ensuring continued investment in improving the local road network. We recognise that these works may cause inconvenience, and we thank residents for their patience and understanding as we deliver these essential improvements.”