Two junctions on Gipsy Patch Lane, Little Stoke, that have been closed to motor vehicles for many months because of railway bridge and highway widening works are set to reopen from Monday (31st January 2022).
The Station Road junction has been closed for almost two years – since 5th March 2020, when Gipsy Patch Lane was closed in both directions at the railway bridge for an anticipated 8 months. However, the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and various project-related delays resulted in the full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane lasting until September 2021, i.e. 10 months longer than originally planned.
Gipsy Patch Lane reopened one-way (westbound only) in September 2021, but the Station Road junction has remained closed until now to allow Network Rail and its contractor Alun Griffiths to complete work on the new railway bridge.
The Gifford Crescent junction has been closed since 5th July 2021, to allow South Gloucestershire Council to carry out highway widening works east of the bridge, in to order to accommodate new bus lanes.
The railway bridge replacement and new bus lanes form part of the £57 million Cribbs Patchway Metrobus Extension (CPME) scheme, which aims to facilitate a fast and reliable bus service between Bristol Parkway Station and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, via the new mixed-use development on the former Filton Airfield site.
Weekend road closure
Gipsy Patch Lane will be closed to traffic, between the service road junction, east of the railway bridge, and the Rolls Royce mini-roundabout, west of the railway bridge, between 8pm on Saturday 29th January and 8pm on Sunday 30th January 2022.
Note: When travelling westbound, “service road junction” on the north side of Gipsy Patch Lane is located just after the west-most junction for Bush Avenue (and Stokers public house) on the opposite side.
This closure is needed to enable South Gloucestershire Council’s StreetCare team to make changes to the temporary road layout and reopen the Station Road and Gifford Crescent junctions following “substantial completion of certain phases” of the CPME works.
During the closure, the westbound one-way system will not be in operation and those needing to travel by car between Stoke Gifford and the Filton/Patchway area will need to use the signed diversion route via Winterbourne Road, Bradley Stoke Way and the A38, or vice versa.
For those requiring access to Pegasus Park, this will be via Gipsy Patch Lane west of the railway bridge where portable traffic signals will be in operation.
Pedestrian and cyclist access under the bridge will be maintained via the new shared-use path.
New road layout
From Monday 31st January, the junctions for Gifford Crescent and Station Road will be reopened to traffic. Vehicles will be able to turn left and right out of these junctions.
The junction that allows access to the service road on the north side of Gipsy Patch Lane will also be reopened from the same date.
The westbound one-way system along Gipsy Patch Lane will remain in place but its extent will be adjusted. It will be in operation between the Station Road junction, east of the railway bridge, and the Rolls Royce mini-roundabout, west of the railway bridge.
Possible future closures
The Station Road junction may need to be closed again to traffic in the coming months to enable Network Rail to carry out work on the railway embankment. A council spokesperson said:
“We will update the community when Network Rail confirm when this work will take place and the traffic management they need to carry out this work.”
More information and related links:
- Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (SGC)
- MetroBus Extension Build (SGJ)
- Photo albums (Google Photos):
