There’s no official date, so Journal editor Stephen Horton is left to speculate…

By the time you read this, we will be into the third year of MetroBus roadworks in Bradley Stoke! When Alun Griffiths started their work in earnest on Monday 2nd September 2015, closing the Woodlands Lane junction for “an estimated 18 weeks”, we were told they planned to be out of Bradley Stoke and have the Stoke Gifford By-Pass completed by Christmas 2016. So much for optimism!

With the traffic cones finally coming off most (but not all) of the new bus lanes, it’s not my intention to rake over all those old stories about “uncharted underground services” and “design changes”, but rather to consider when we might be able to actually use the promised new “high quality, fast and reliable” MetroBus services here in Bradley Stoke.

Answering that question, however, has proved rather more difficult than you might have imaged. MetroBus says it is no longer prepared to supply an exact date and its latest public newsletter states simply “autumn 2017”, although it should be noted that enquiries have revealed that this date represents the earliest date that any of the three MetroBus routes across Greater Bristol should start, and does not necessarily apply to all of them. In practice, it is likely to relate only to the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads (AVTM) route.

The key factors that need to be considered are: (1) Completion of the route infrastructure; (2) installation of the IT infrastructure; (3) appointment of a bus operator; and (4) ability and willingness of the appointed operator to commence services.

A report to the West of England Joint Transport Board in March estimated that all construction on the North Fringe to Hengrove Package (NFHP) route, i.e. the one serving Bradley Stoke, would be completed by “autumn 2017”. The Journal is not aware of any official slippage on this date but it is noted that the Stoke Gifford By-Pass is now on the critical path, its projected completion date having slipped to “autumn 2017” from “summer 2017”. Similarly, work at the southern end of Bradley Stoke Way is now scheduled to finish in October 2017 (was given as May 2017 at the start of the year).

More: Ticketing machines will not be piloted until mid-October »

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

All Alun Griffiths works at Aztec West, Bradley Stoke Way north of Patchway Brook Roundabout (near Aldi) and around Webbs Wood Roundabout are complete.

South Gloucestershire Council continues to work in the vicinity of Aztec West on the separate (i.e. non-MetroBus) A38 southbound widening and roundabout improvement scheme.

South of Patchway Brook

Traffic management has now been removed, with the exception of one final section near Primrose Bridge, which has been left in place so that a pollution control chamber can be installed. Trial trenching has now completed to determine the service(s) that will need to be worked around, if possible. Subject to design changes and approvals, this will take us up to the end of September.

Great Stoke Roundabout

At the southern end of Bradley Stoke Way, on the approach to Great Stoke Roundabout (a.k.a. Rabbit Roundabout), the new bus lane area is now complete up to binder course. Only the final surface course of tarmac remains to be done, followed by lining.

During early September, traffic will be switched to the new bus lane to enable works on the northbound side, including new kerbs lines, drainage and footway works. Local pedestrian footway diversions around The Worthys will be installed to facilitate this.

All work in this area, including surfacing, is to be completed by early October.

The overall duration of works has extended due to drainage design changes. We have strived to keep the traffic flowing by keeping open narrow lanes, as opposed to other traffic management measures which could have restricted traffic movement. Consequently, we have received no complaints of traffic congestion in this area whilst we have completed the extended work on the verge.

More: Stoke Gifford By-Pass set for completion in October »

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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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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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