South Gloucestershire Council has launched a public consultation on plans for capacity improvements at a major roundabout on the border between Bradley Stoke and Stoke Gifford.
Great Stoke Roundabout (a.k.a. Rabbit Roundabout), which lies on the junction of Winterbourne Road with Bradley Stoke Way and Great Stoke Way, is forecast to be operating significantly over-capacity during the morning and evening peak periods by 2036, leading to increased levels of congestion with more queuing and delay.
The proposed scheme, now estimated to cost a total of £2.3m (halved from an earlier estimate), is said to be needed to accommodate the increase in traffic flows expected from committed developments in the area and the widening of Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge.
The consultation documents make reference to the 8,000 homes planned for new neighbourhoods at East of Harry Stoke and Cribbs Patchway, along with the economic hub around the former Filton Airfield.
The proposed scheme also includes elements to encourage walking and cycling and improve the reliability of bus routes, including the M1 MetroBus.
It is anticipated that funding for the scheme will come from the West of England Combined Authority.
Subject to receiving funding, construction could commence in autumn 2019 and is expected to take one year to complete. A construction management plan will be prepared to minimise the impact of the works on local people and the environment.
Consultation on the proposals runs until 29th March 2019.
Details of the scheme and a short questionnaire can be found on the council website: Great Stoke Roundabout – Proposed Improvement
You can also email any comments or questions to transportservices@southglos.gov.uk
To request a paper copy of all the information and a questionnaire, call the council on 01454 868000.
Two drop-in information sessions have been arranged where plans of the scheme will be on display and representatives from StreetCare will be present to answer questions:
- Tuesday 5th March 2019, 3pm-6pm, at Baileys Court Activity Centre BS32 8BH
- Thursday 7th March 2019, 4.30pm-6.30pm, at Stoke Gifford Trust Hall BS34 8PE
See also: Hi-res version of the plan: PDF, JPG
Photo: Great Stoke Roundabout (viewed from south side).
Extracts from the consultation documents
The proposed improvement scheme involves the following works:
- Widening of the approaches to the roundabout and of the roundabout itself, to increase the number of traffic lanes from two to three
- Installation of Toucan crossings (shared use pedestrian and cycle) across all roundabout approaches
- Relocation of the current cycle access ramp on Great Stoke Way to provide greater separation between this ramp and the proposed crossing to reduce the risk of conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists
The proposed scheme is complementary to other junction capacity schemes successfully delivered in the North Fringe, such as Aztec West Roundabout, as part of a package of investment to support the Filton Enterprise Area and the sustainable housing growth.
- The objectives of the improvement scheme are to:
- Reduce levels of congestion
- Improve journey time reliability
- Reduce vehicular emissions
- Improve pedestrian and cyclist routes
This article originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on pages 16 & 17). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
