Local councillors and stakeholders have been informed that the planned date for a full (two-way) reopening of Gipsy Patch Lane has been brought forward by three months.
It had been anticipated that the one-way (westbound only) traffic system that was opened up on 6th September would be in place until the end of 2022, but project managers at South Gloucestershire Council say they are now aiming to fully reopen the road from the end of September 2022.
However, they warn that there may be a need for ad-hoc traffic management for landscaping work and the installation of iPoints at the new MetroBus stops beyond this date, possibly up to the end of March 2023 “if there is a bad winter”.
Traffic monitoring has shown that approximately 5,500 vehicles are using the one-way system each day and that 85 percent of traffic is travelling below the speed limit. Fewer than one percent of vehicles are exceeding the enforceable limit.
Concerns have been raised about the number of road signs in place along Gipsy Patch Lane. A recent Stakeholder Liaison Group meeting was told a safety audit is due to take place and the signs will be reviewed as part of that. The council says the additional signs are there to “direct traffic and support local businesses”.
Highway widening east of the railway bridge (Little Stoke side) has been going well and excavation works for the first three phases of work are complete. Granular materials are being installed on the first phase, ready for final surfacing. Crews are now installing kerbing and carrying out further drainage works.
To the west of the bridge (Rolls-Royce side), footway surfacing has been removed outside the Horizon 38 site to enable the road widening work. Excavation work for the new carriageway is underway and crews are also installing a new 750mm diameter surface water attenuation pipe as part of drainage works. Work to the footways west of Rolls-Royce has also been completed.
Under the new railway bridge, Network Rail’s contractor Alun Griffiths has been sinking a 7m-deep, concrete-lined shaft for the drainage system pumping chamber. This has involved the creation of a ‘jacking collar’ to support four jacks used to push the shaft, formed of pre-cast concrete segments, down into the ground. During this process, the ground at the base of the shaft needed to be excavated and hard stone broken up, to allow for pushing down the shaft following the addition of each new ring.
The bridge drainage system is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
More information and related links:
- Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (SGC)
- MetroBus Extension Build (SGJ)
- Photo albums (Google Photos):
This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on pages 4 & 5). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
Two-way traffic section to be extended
UPDATE added 8th November 2021 following an announcement by South Gloucestershire Council.
From Monday 22nd November 2021, the junctions for Smithcourt Drive and the service road leading to Bush Avenue (and the Stokers public house) on Gipsy Patch Lane will be reopened to traffic. Vehicles will be able to turn left and right out of both junctions.
The westbound one-way system will remain in place but will be moved and will be in operation between the service road leading to Bush Avenue, east of the railway bridge, and the Rolls-Royce mini-roundabout, west of the bridge.
In other words, two-way traffic will be in operation between the Winterbourne Road roundabout and the service road leading into Bush Avenue (currently it extends only as far as the junction with Little Stoke Lane).
The junctions for Station Road, Gifford Crescent and the service road on the north side of Gipsy Patch Lane will remain closed to traffic whilst work continues in this area.
On Sunday 21st November 2021, between 8am and 8pm, Gipsy Patch Lane will be closed to traffic east of the railway bridge, between the Little Stoke Lane junction and the railway bridge. This is to allow the necessary changes to the temporary road layout to be carried out.
Utter disgrace how long this shambles has been going on for. Complete disaster and waste of money. SCG should be banned from any further roadworks.