Work is set to begin next month on a key transport project to revamp a Bristol bus junction in a bid to boost connectivity across the city. The £2 million project, which is expected to take around nine months to complete, will see the Portway Park and Ride bus entrance on the A4 in Shirehampton transformed.
The existing layout, which only allows the number 9 service to access the site from one direction, will be altered to enable buses to enter from the northwest. The bus junction will be widened and reconfigured as part of the works, which will also include the installation of a new pedestrian crossing, resurfacing and improved signage.
Once complete, the upgrade could pave the way for improved services, including the potential for four new bus routes to stop at the site, and better connectivity between the city centre and Avonmouth.
Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee at Bristol City Council, said: “These works will bring the Portway Park and Ride a step closer to becoming the transport hub that our residents and commuters deserve. A remodelled bus entrance will complement Portway’s new railway station that opened in 2023.
“Not only will the site be an even more useful resource for people in the area, but it will offer more options to people commuting on established bus routes that serve communities in Avonmouth, Severnside and North Somerset. The new entrance will also mean the site can be used as new bus connections develop, including a direct shuttle bus to and from the YTL Arena in Filton when it opens.”
During the nine-month construction period, the A4 Portway is expected to remain accessible, although temporary traffic lights will regulate two-way traffic, likely causing some delays. Meanwhile, the number 9 bus will operate via new stops on the A4 Portway during the works.
Despite the need to remove seven trees and relocate three, the project includes planting an additional 13 trees on-site, reports Bristol Live.
This significant £2 million investment is funded by the UK Government as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, under the administration of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. The work is set to start on Monday, February 17.
The new services that could stop at the site are:
- 3 (city centre to Cribbs Causeway)
- 4 (city centre to Cribbs Causeway)
- 10 (Bristol Parkway to Severn Beach via Avonmouth and Southmead Hospital)
- 11 (Bristol Parkway to Avonmouth via Southmead Hospital)
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