South Gloucestershire has gone out to consultation on its proposed plans to improve a number of junctions on the A4174 ring road.
The council said it wants to reduce carbon emissions and help relieve congestion on the A4174 corridor between the Lyde Green and Kingsfield roundabouts by improving the operation of the five junctions in the area.
The plans aim to improve the capacity of these roundabouts by better utilising available space on the approach to junctions, changing the type of some of the junctions, and expanding traffic signal control to locations that currently have no traffic lights.
It also intends to improve connections for active travel modes (such as walking and cycling) and other non-road users where possible, as well as helping the flow of public transport through improved junction performance.
The plans also seek to improve access to the surrounding area to help open up business opportunities, as well as enhancing traffic safety and bettering the network’s resilience and journey time reliability.
Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environment and Strategic Infrastructure Cllr Steve Reade said: “We want to reduce congestion and improve air quality in South Gloucestershire so have explored options to improve five junctions on the A4174. The ring road is a key transport corridor in our area, providing a link between the A4 and Bath to the south and the M32 and the M4 to the north, and serves as a strategic route to avoid travelling through the Bristol urban area. It also provides access to a number of local residential and employment areas.
“This scheme is designed to encourage necessary strategic car trips to remain on the A4174, the most suitable road designed to accommodate longer distance car journeys, and to deter the traffic from rerouting through our local communities.”
The results of this consultation will support the development of a full business case. This will be submitted to Government for funding to deliver the scheme and the cost is estimated to be around £30 million.
If these plans are progressed and the funding approved, a construction management plan will be prepared to minimise the impact of the works on local people, road users, businesses and the environment, said the council.
Image: South Gloucs Council
