An advertised eight-week closure of Little Stoke Lane, to install a series of traffic-calming ‘raised tables’, has caused confusion amongst local drivers and bus passengers.
The closure was advertised on the website roadworks.org yesterday (Sunday 3rd February) and yellow signs along the road confirm a closure of eight weeks, starting from today (Monday 4th February).
One bus passenger, writing on Twitter on Sunday evening, asked First Group about possible bus diversions during the closure:
@FirstBSA little stoke lane closed for 8 weeks from tomorrow, when were you planning on telling people where to catch their bus from??
— Craig Vowles (@craigthev) February 3, 2013
The fact that the work was likely to start today was reported last week in The Journal, subject to the scheme being given the go-ahead at a South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) Committee meeting on 30th January.
A team of contractors duly arrived this morning, and they were observed using mechanical excavators to remove one of the road narrowings near Little Stoke Primary School.
When The Journal asked South Gloucestershire Council for a statement on the road closure, we were told:
“This work will see new traffic calming measures implemented on Little Stoke Lane. Following discussion with representatives of the local community, we will be replacing the current priority narrowings of the road with speed tables, which are considered more effective in reducing traffic speeds and promoting safer driving.”
However, a statement put out by bus operator First Group on Twitter this morning suggests that the information on the yellow road signs might be misleading:
Bristol: Despite roadside signage to the contrary Little Stoke Lane, Little Stoke will not be fully closed until 25th March @kmb2009 SDM
— First West of England (@FirstBSA) February 4, 2013
UPDATE (5:15pm): An SCG spokesperson told The Journal: “Although the work has begun, the lane will be open for the whole duration up until the last week of March (w/c 25th March) when it will shut for one week for the speed tables to be installed.”
Thanks to “Error Correction” for pointing a typo (now corrected) in the article.