October 30 update: It’s open again! Hurrah! Here’s what you and us had to say during the closure.
Monday update: The complaints continue to roll in about the traffic hell Bradley Stoke residents are experiencing at the moment.
Since Gipsy Patch Lane closed queues have been going back from Aztec West to as far as Tesco every single morning.
Louisa says: “When attempting to turn right out of Woodlands Lane (past the entrance to the Hilton) onto Bradley Stoke Way the traffic already queuing to get onto the Aztec roundabout and turn left down the A38 doesn’t flow sufficiently enough to allow more than three or four cars out and once you are out and the lights have changed you are stranded in the middle of Bradley Stoke Way.”
Want to add your views? Click into the main story and use the form at the bottom of the page.
Friday update: The Examiner set off in the staff Skoda at 7.20am this morning again to find Bradley Stoke Way jammed to death at the Woodlands roundabout.
But there is good news. Reader Matt managed to get a reply from South Gloucestershire Council over his complaints about Gipsy Patch Lane.
Says Matt: “Apparently alot of the issues around why they’ve chosen to close the road now come down to the timing of the application for the roundabout by Rolls Royce and also trying to make sure all the utilities companies / national rail were coordinated to all do their work at the same time.
“They would have preferred to do this in the summer too, but the timescales made it impossible - part of the new RR factory is due to be ready soon I believe!”
Matt adds: “Fair play to the guy, he had the courtesy to call and discuss things - not sure everyone from SGC [South Gloucestershire Council] would choose to do that!”
We agree - top marks to the council.
Thursday update: Readers of the Examiner have been getting in touch about the dreadful traffic situation in BS32.
The traffic is normally bad but the closure of Gipsy Patch Lane has shown how delicate the infrastructure currently is.
Reader Matt, of the GPL closure, asks: “Why didn’t they do it in the summer, when the schools were out and less traffic on the roads!?!”
He continues: “After 10 days worth of 40 to 50 minute trips to the 3 miles into my office, I’m utterly despondant as to who’s running Bradley Stoke roads and when I’m going to get to work on time!”
We’d like to hear what you think: Click on full story then fill in the form to tell us what you think.
James added: “I can’t believe people are just sitting in their cars fuming and doing nothing about it, we should be telling the Council exactly what we think.”
Well, readers, feel free to tell the council what you think right here and we’ll make our best attempts to get South Gloucestershire Council to have a read.
Wednesday’s story that started it all off:
One reader has got in touch to tell us about how bad the traffic is in the town at the moment.
The Examiner decided to check out the problem itself, hopping into the motor for a drive one morning.
We found virtually all routes to the city centre now have some kind of roadworks or obstructions - so we’re looking for your suggestions to avoid them!
Gipsy Patch Lane is causing the most hell with a closure at the railway bridge cutting off access to the A38.
Those wanting to get to the A38 either have to drive up through Aztec West to via the official diversion on Briery Furlong - another hellish route.
Let us know your suggestions.
Fancy another way in? What about via Old Gloucester Road and Hambrook? Well, currently the traffic lights crossing the Ring Road are set to allow all of eight seconds of traffic through. Result? Queues.
So we’re now asking for your routes in to see if we can help out residents of BS32 … Fill in the form below and we’ll publish the best ways to the city centre.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Matt // Oct 10, 2006 at 9:44 pm
Hi!
What I’d like to know, is why the cretins in South Glos. Council decided to plan the roadworks for a very busy time of year traffic wise.
Why didn’t they do it in the summer, when the schools were out and less traffic on the roads!?!
After 10 days worth of 40 to 50 minute trips to the 3 miles into my office, I’m utterly despondant as to who’s running Bradley Stoke roads and when I’m going to get to work on time!
As for ways into the town centre, I suspect the quickest way now is to drive to parkway (I know you’ll have to queue to get to the Winterbourne roundabout!) and then park at ummm parkway and get the train in!
Good website by the way!
Matt
2 James // Oct 12, 2006 at 8:49 am
I completely agree and support your comments Matt, traffic management in Bradley Stoke is a joke, it’s not difficult to understand how fragile everything is with bottlenecks all over the place (like one entrance/exit to Aztec West!).
Even if the Council had waited a week or two more it would have been half term and cut the problems by 50% (if only for a week).
I can’t believe people are just sitting in their cars fuming and doing nothing about it, we should be telling the Council exactly what we think.
Cheers
James
3 Miranda // Oct 12, 2006 at 8:58 am
I can’t belive this week…on Tuesday morning it took me an hour and a half to do 3 miles!!!!! I was so cross when I got into work, it really doesn’t make for a good start to the day!
And for all you students out there, it REALLY doesn’t help when you all try and push in at the traffic lights to turn right onto the UWE road, we aren’t all queing there for our health you know!
Anyway, thats enough of my rant!
Miranda
4 Matt // Oct 13, 2006 at 12:20 pm
Hi,
Just an update - I emailed SGC in utter frustration yesterday - and to their credit, someone from the Highways department actually phoned me this morning to discuss things.
Apparently alot of the issues around why they’ve chosen to close the road now come down to the timing of the application for the roundabout by Rolls Royce and also trying to make sure all the utilities companies / national reail were coordinated to all do their work at the same time. They would have preferred to do this in the summer too, but the timescales made it impossible - part of the new RR factory is due to be ready soon I believe!
Fair play to the guy, he had the courtesy to call and discuss things - not sure everyone from SGC would choose to do that!
Just thought I’d share that!
Matt
5 BSE Newsdesk // Oct 13, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Well done Matt - excellent update.
6 Louisa // Oct 16, 2006 at 7:47 pm
In addition to the closure of Gipsy Patch Lane, I notice that the synchronisation of the traffic lights on the Aztec West roundabout and all roads leading up to it has been changed. When attempting to turn right out of Woodlands Lane (past the entrance to the Hilton) onto Bradley Stoke Way the traffic already queuing to get onto the Aztec roundabout and turn left down the A38 doesn’t flow sufficiently enough to allow more than three or four cars out and once you are out and the lights have changed you are stranded in the middle of Bradley Stoke Way. Being at the front of the queue from Woodlands Lane this morning, I noticed the lights let just one car out coming up from the Somerfield roundabout before changing back to red. One car! No wonder there are queues all the way down to the main Tesco roundabout each morning.
Could the narrow piece of road just by the bus stop (presently closed off with a metal gate) not be opened to allow traffic wishing to go down the A38 to filter off before it hits the Aztec roundabout?
7 Andy // Oct 17, 2006 at 2:29 pm
I agree that the situation with GPL being closed is a nightmare, but it isn’t helped by all these people complaining about how long their 3 mile drive is taking. THREE MILES! Is that all?? Get out and walk or ride a bicycle for a change, and get healthy at the same time. Most people stroll comfortably at 4 mph. A bicycle can get you going around 10 mph or more. You work it out.
8 Mike // Oct 21, 2006 at 8:07 am
You think its bad now?
Wait until Tesco gets its supadupa new all singing all dancing store + hotel + all the other large chain stores open. Where is all the traffic going to go?
It’ll be like this every weekend and evening.
9 Matt // Oct 26, 2006 at 11:24 am
Hi - does anyone know if GPL has reopened?
10 BSE Newsdesk // Oct 26, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Hi Matt, not due until next Monday but am due to drive past in the morning - I’ll check then.
11 BSE Newsdesk // Oct 27, 2006 at 8:42 am
Nope, still closed …
12 Paul // Oct 30, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Hi,
It can’t be that closed - we drove down it on Friday…
13 BSE Newsdesk // Oct 30, 2006 at 12:46 pm
Thanks Paul - South Gloucs council have confirmed it has reopened … Cue sounds of cheering crowds and relieved motorists.
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