A 15-day full closure of Gipsy Patch Lane is planned to take place during the last week of July and the first week of August, to allow resurfacing of the widened carriageway west of the railway bridge (Rolls-Royce side).
This is said to be the “final stage” of the main construction work for the £57m Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension scheme, which began in earnest on 5th March 2020 when Gipsy Patch Lane was fully closed at the railway bridge for an anticipated 8 months. However, numerous delays on the project, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, meant that it was September 2021 before the road under the bridge was finally reopened (at that time to one-way traffic only).
South Gloucestershire Council says it is carrying out the resurfacing during the school summer holidays, when traffic levels are reduced, in order to minimise disruption to traffic in the area.
Other work, such as the installation of bus shelters and iPoints, and landscaping, will be completed by the end of the year.
It is anticipated that services on the newly named ‘M4’ MetroBus route will commence in “spring 2023”.
Resurfacing operation
The works will be carried out overnight, between 8pm and 6am, to minimise the disruption to local businesses during the daytime. Details of the traffic management can be found below.
This resurfacing will be like that carried out by the council’s StreetCare team at Easter on the widened section of the carriageway east of the bridge (Little Stoke side).
A council spokesperson said:
“The operation will involve the reconstruction of all the asphalt layers in the road, not simply the top layer, to make the road fit for purpose for years to come. More than 30 people will be involved in the operation each day, which is a combination of on-site workers, lorry drivers and those at the quarry mixing the materials.”
“More than 1,650 tonnes of material will be removed and during the asphalt operation we will be laying over 200 tonnes of material each day. There will be more than 170 lorry movements throughout the work.”
Road closure
To carry out this work, Gipsy Patch Lane will need to be closed to traffic in both directions between the entrance to Pegasus Park and the junction with Taurus Road 24 hours a day, from 8pm on Friday 22nd July 2022 until 6am on Monday 8th August 2022. This will mean that during this two-week period the road will not reopen to traffic during the day.
Editor’s note: When travelling towards the A38, Pegasus Park is the commercial area on the right just after passing under the bridge, while Taurus Road is the second left turn after passing under the bridge. Pegasus Park is home to Tyres Direct and Stagecoach; Taurus Road provides access to Selco builders merchants and the Village Hotel.
Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the shared use paths along Gipsy Patch Lane and access side junctions.
Once this resurfacing is complete Gipsy Patch Lane will reopen to two-way traffic.
A council spokesperson said:
“These dates and times may be subject to change.”
“We apologise for any disruption caused by these works.”
There will be a signed diversion route in place throughout the closure. Traffic needing to travel between Stoke Gifford, Filton and Patchway will need to use Bradley Stoke Way and the A38, and vice versa.
Access to businesses
Throughout the works access to local businesses will be maintained.
Access into Pegasus Park will be via Gipsy Patch Lane travelling from east of the railway bridge (the Little Stoke side). Motorists exiting Pegasus Park will only be able to turn left (towards Little Stoke).
To access businesses on the Horizon 38 industrial estate, drivers will need to use Taurus Road, approaching eastwards along Gipsy Patch Lane from the A38.
To access Rolls-Royce Gate 5, between 8pm on Friday 22nd July and 6am on Wednesday 27th July, motorists will need to travel along Gipsy Patch Lane via the Hatchet Road roundabout, east of the railway bridge.
To access Rolls-Royce Gate 5, between 6am on Wednesday 27th July and 6am on Monday 8th August, motorists will need to travel along Gipsy Patch Lane via the A38, west of the railway bridge.
Network Rail work
The junction of Gipsy Patch Lane and Station Road may also need to be closed again to traffic in the coming months to enable Network Rail to carry out remedial 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.”
Editor’s note: The latest construction programme, dated March 2022, suggests this work won’t start until September at the earliest.
More information and related links:
- Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (SGC)
- MetroBus Extension Build (SGJ)
- Photo albums (Google Photos):
This needs an independent investigation to look into (a) contractor incompetence and (b) potential backhanders to councillors to allow this state of affairs to go on for three years. How do these Traffic Orders get signed off?