With the planned four-week full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane during June now less than a month away, South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) says it will soon reveal details of the signed diversion routes that will be in operation during the upcoming work.
Further full and partial closures of Gipsy Patch Lane are planned over the next two years, including a full closure lasting approximately eight months from “early 2020”.
The road closures are needed to allow the existing narrow arch railway bridge to be replaced by a much wider concrete structure.
The work is being carried out as part of the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme, which also involves the creation of new bus lanes along parts of Gipsy Patch Lane.
An SGC spokesperson said:
“We understand that this work will have a major impact on traffic in the nearby and wider area. We apologise in advance for this inconvenience and would like to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can to minimise disruption to residents, businesses and road users.”
The council recently conducted an online travel survey aimed at users of Gipsy Patch Lane and it says that the results of this, along with data collected from traffic survey cameras that were temporarily installed at points on the local road network during March, are being used to inform its traffic management planning.
Details of a series of public drop-in information sessions, at which further details of the CPME work and associated traffic diversion routes will be provided, are shown below.
All information displayed at the drop-in events will also be made available on the SGC website at www.southglos.gov.uk/CPmetrobus
According to documents submitted with the planning application for the railway bridge replacement scheme, full closures of Gipsy Patch Lane were not due to commence until December 2019 at the earliest. However, the council announced in February that an earlier four-week closure in June 2019 would be needed for BT to carry out preparatory work to divert underground utilities.
The planning application intimated that a shuttle bus service will be provided to mitigate the impact on non-motorised users, but it is not clear at this stage whether this will be available during the June 2019 closure.
The possibility of providing a fully surfaced pedestrian and cycle link between Little Stoke Park and the A38 in Patchway, via the existing Little Stoke Farm railway bridge, is currently being investigated, with the outcome of a public consultation due to be published on 10th May.
• The Stoke Gifford Journal maintains a webpage providing the latest information on the Gipsy Patch Lane roadworks: MetroBus Extension Build
Above: Annotated plan of the proposed works on Gipsy Patch Lane.
June 2019 full road closure at the railway bridge
Roadworks are currently taking place on Gipsy Patch Lane in preparation for construction of the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension, which is expected to start later this year. The current work is being undertaken by BT to divert underground utilities.
The next phase of BT’s preparatory work will require Gipsy Patch Lane to be closed to all highway users, including pedestrians and cyclists, at the railway bridge for approximately four weeks during June.
A signed diversion route will be in place during this time. Access to properties and side roads along Gipsy Patch Lane will be maintained and no disruption to the supply of utilities is expected. Businesses and shops along and near Gipsy Patch Lane will be open as normal.
Dates of the full closure and diversion routes will be clearly signposted.
In addition, ground investigations and surveys will be carried out near the bridge during May and June. This will include some de-vegetation on the railway embankments but will not require any further road closures.
Source: South Gloucestershire Council, May 2019
Drop-in information sessions during May 2019
Wednesday 8th May, 5pm-7pm
Little Stoke Primary School, Little Stoke Lane, Little Stoke
Monday 13th May, 3pm-6pm
Patchway Community Centre, Rodway Road, Patchway
Tuesday 14th May, 3pm-5pm
Baileys Court Activity Centre, Baileys Court Road, Bradley Stoke
Monday 20th May, 3.30pm-6.30pm
Little Stoke Community Hall, Little Stoke Lane, Little Stoke
Tuesday 21st May, 4pm-7pm
The St Michael’s Centre, The Green, Stoke Gifford
Wednesday 22nd May, 3pm-6pm
BAWA Centre, Southmead Road, Filton
This article originally appeared in the May 2019 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on pages 4 & 5). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
