Bristol is continuing to see widespread roadworks across the city as part of a major transport programme aimed at changing how people travel and reducing reliance on private cars.
Roadworks are causing hours of delays for drivers in Bristol.(Image: Bristol Live)
Bristol Live readers are seeing another year of extensive roadworks across the city as part of a wider transport programme aimed at reshaping travel and encouraging walking, cycling and bus use over private cars.
Major schemes include upgrades to the Portway and the number 2 bus route from Henbury to Stockwood, both expected to run into 2027. Plans are also in place to overhaul city centre travel to improve safety and support future population growth linked to new developments.
The city centre programme is split into five projects: Temple Way, Redcliffe Way, Bedminster Bridges, Broadmead and Bond Street. Temple Way and Redcliffe Way are underway, while the other three still require approval from the West of England Combined Authority.
Funding comes from the £540m City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement, which is ringfenced for transport schemes and cannot be used for core council services. Each project requires a business case approval from WECA, and outcomes are not guaranteed, as seen previously with the Park Street scheme.
If approvals are not granted, delivery timelines and funding for remaining projects remain uncertain, although some preparatory work has already begun.
Peterbedminster says: “I have to drive to the BRI every day as I can’t easily walk or use a bus, bike or scooter due to my age. Over the last 250 miles my average speed has been about 6.5mph. Yesterday traffic couldn’t get through to Upper Maudlin Street past the bus station, so I had to go via Cheltenham Road and St Michael’s Hill instead. A journey that normally takes 20 minutes took 45 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. It makes me wonder how ambulances are coping.”
Registeredroyalty retorts: “There are simply too many cars for the amount of road space available, and you are part of that problem. Even so, the tendency is often to look for someone else to blame. Elect a Green Party administration, remove autonomous decision making, and end up with transport policies focused on encouraging people to leave their cars and instead use buses, cycling or walking. Then people turn around and complain about the outcome of the choices they made.”
Dizzy1 points out: “You will never get people out of their cars until you bring back the high street when people can shop locally. Get public transport to be affordable and get people to where they need to go on time.”
Bristol_Girl complains: “Of course, as the Greens continue their approach to discouraging car use, questions remain over how emergency access will be maintained across the road network. There is also the issue of how councils will replace the significant revenue currently generated through CAZ fines, parking meters, car parks and resident permits, which bring in millions each year. Relying on repeated council tax rises is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term”
Terry B writes: “ I saw a sign near Imperial saying ‘ETM keeping Bristol moving’ Feels like they’re trolling us. I swear there’s one crew that just rotates around different sites each day!”
Dave N suggests: “So BCC, if you want people to visit, spend money and enjoy Bristol, why make them feel unwelcome when they arrive by car? With the risk of penalty tickets, parking fines and bus lane fines, it just puts people off. In that case, many will simply choose to visit another city or town that feels more welcoming.”
Russell M Agrees: “If BCC’s aim is to remove private cars from central Bristol, why not be upfront about it and implement it directly rather than making driving increasingly difficult? And for clarity, public transport and cycling are not practical options for everyone.”
Andy C thinks: “There often doesn’t seem to be much common sense in how roadworks are handled. They should be quick and cause as little disruption as possible, but instead they drag on for ages with not much obvious progress and end up making things worse for everyone. Lime Kiln roundabout is often mentioned as an example, where traffic actually seemed to flow better after the lights were turned off, which makes people question what was really being achieved. Meanwhile, other roads are falling apart, causing safety issues and damage, which makes it feel like basic maintenance isn’t being kept on top of.”
Phil J adds: “Bristol is being transformed into a nightmare! Get rid of the bus gates and stop blocking the roads with the stupid flower planters!”
With so many long running roadworks across Bristol aimed at changing how we travel, what impact do you think this is having on daily journeys, congestion and local businesses? Have your say in our comments section.