Commuters in north Bristol are being warned to expect significant additional delays on roads throughout the area when South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) commences repairs to the Bromley Heath Viaduct in the final week of July.

The A4174 Ring Road near Hambrook is to be reduced to 50 percent capacity (one lane each way instead of two) for an estimated 33 weeks from the weekend of 22nd/23rd July.

The project was originally expected to take 52 weeks to complete, but a recent decision by the West of England Joint Committee to allocate additional funding of £2.8m means that it has been possible to reduce its duration. This will be achieved by carrying out the work over dual weekday shifts, with some weekend work as and when required.

Cllr Colin Hunt, SGC Cabinet member responsible for transport, said:

“Reducing the length of the work will help to alleviate congestion and the impact of diversions on local communities, commuters and people travelling through the area. We know the scheme will cause significant disruption for people but we are trying everything we can to mitigate this.”

The work is required in order to undertake essential maintenance on one of two parallel viaducts that carry the road over the River Frome between the Hambrook lights and Bromley Heath Roundabout.

The southern viaduct, which carries the westbound carriageway, is in need of: pier strengthening, bearing replacement, drainage improvements, waterproofing, parapet and safety fence replacement, concrete repairs, and abnormal load carrying capacity improvements.

A separate major project to provide a wider shared path and a protective barrier for cyclists and pedestrians using the viaduct will be carried out concurrently with the repairs.

More: Points to note for Bradley Stoke commuters »

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South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) has been dealt a further body blow to its finances with the news that construction of the North Fringe to Hengrove Package (NFHP) MetroBus scheme is now projected to come in nearly £16m over budget, an increase of £4.6m since the last figures were released in November 2016.

The latest numbers, originating from the MetroBus Project Review Board, are revealed in a report that was due to be considered by SGC’s Cabinet on 10th July.

The estimated total cost of the project, which is jointly funded by central government, SGC and Bristol City Council, is now put at £117.9m, up 15.8% on the original budget of £101.8m.

Because of the way the funding is arranged, with the government contribution being fixed at £51.1m and SGC committed to covering 61 percent of the remainder, SGC’s projected total contribution has now risen to £40.3m, up 32.1% on its original budget of £30.5m.

Reasons given for the latest increase in forecast cost include:

• Additional delays to the completion of Bradley Stoke Way, due to further unforeseen utility diversion work
• Additional earthwork requirements on the Stoke Gifford Transport Link (SGTL) and the Ham Brook Bridge
• Additional delay costs to the SGTL due to interfaces with Network Rail
• Delays in obtaining Highways England approvals for work on the M32
• Delay costs and additional construction costs relating to piling in the city centre
• Increases in project and site management costs due to the longer than expected duration of the project

More: £0.5m will be diverted from council’s revenue underspend »

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Over the last few weeks, South Gloucestershire Council’s traffic signals team have been installing new traffic signals infrastructure to replace the old equipment on the Aztec West Roundabout. It was anticipated that these works would be substantially completed and the new equipment turned on by the first week in July. The new left-turn MetroBus lane between Bradley Stoke Way and the A38 southbound will remain closed whilst commissioning and final snagging works are carried out.

The completion date for the Aztec West Roundabout / A38 Widening Scheme delivered by StreetCare is Autumn 2017. StreetCare will be undertaking the resurfacing of the A38 between M5 J16 and the Aztec West roundabout from Monday 17th July for a period of three weeks. The work is being done overnight between 8pm and 6am to minimise disruption and will involve closing the A38 northbound and southbound. Advance signing and diversions for traffic will be in place.

• More information: www.southglos.gov.uk/A38roundaboutwidening

Latest information from SGC (14th July)

The areas to be resurfaced (and requiring road closures) will be as follows:

• A38 southbound From M5 Junction 16 to Aztec West Roundabout
• A38 northbound From Aztec West Roundabout to M5 Junction 16
• Aztec West roundabout circulatory.

Some or all of the above roads may be closed at any one time.

All traffic exiting Bradley Stoke Way at Aztec West roundabout will be required to turn left (south) down the A38 and follow appropriate diversions.

There will always be access and egress maintained to Park Avenue (Aztec West Business Park).

More: Details of bus service diversions »

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By Jim Aitken, community liaison officer at Alun Griffiths Ltd.

Bradley Stoke Way (BSW)

The Alun Griffiths compound at Woodlands Lane has now been cleared. Work on swales and landscaping is ongoing.

A38 south of Aztec West

The new MetroBus stops are now 100 percent complete and all traffic management for our works have been removed, however South Gloucestershire Council is still working in and around the Aztec West area. [See: Aztec West Roundabout A38 Southbound Widening Scheme]

South of Patchway Brook

The bus lane will remain closed to allow for various ongoing traffic management switches so that landscaping and re-profiling works to the swales and verges can be completed, along with turfing and further tree/shrub planting.

An additional catch pit has to be installed on the drainage system near Primrose Bridge where we have tied into the exiting drainage system for pollution control measures.

The reprofiling is due to be completed during July. Once works are complete, all road cones will be removed. Landscaping works will be ongoing throughout.

Great Stoke Roundabout

Earthworks and road excavation are both 95 percent complete and drainage installation has commenced.

There is a large drainage excavation required along the footway between Great Meadow and Great Stoke roundabouts. Design changes have been necessary due to underground services and the area required for root protection of a certain species of tree. A 4-metre deep excavation is required adjacent to the carriageway and a redesign has now been provided. This is different from our original scope, so twenty-four-hour two-way temporary traffic lights are now required to cover the area of approximately 40 metres of road. This will not affect access to The Worthys.

More: Latest on the construction of the Stoke Gifford By-Pass »

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