THE ISSUE
Most mornings – and during peak season times – vehicles are queuing down the A370 and at airport roundabout, just outside Weston Village, as they wait to enter the motorway.
On many occasions it can take a considerable time to get onto the motorway and the issue appears to be that the road capacity around junction 21, A370 and airport roundabout has not kept up with the increased vehicle traffic from new developments.
In addition the slow moving traffic caused by malfunction junction also impacts on the traffic flow.
Residents have regularly been in touch with me frustrated by the knock on impacts that this has on their every day lives.
THE NEWS
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Successfully lobbying to keep Wolvershill Bridge open
As part of the Wolvershill development the masterplan included closing the bridge over the M5 to vehicles. This would have resulted in traffic dissipating through Winterstoke ward by airport roundabout and A370, putting extra pressure on roads already at capacity.
I met with developers to discuss this scheme and they confirmed the modelling identified extra capacity issues.
In the background I lobbied the Executive Member for Highways to change the approach and leave the bridge open, as well as publicly supported the campaign to keep it open.
This was successful and North Somerset Council subsequently confirmed the bridge would remain open – which is great and helps to prevent extra pressure on the A370.
🚧Wolvershill Bridge
I've had correspondence from residents raising concerns about the potential permanent closure of Wolvershill Bridge over the M5 - which has come to light as part of a pre-application consultation for a development in Wolvershill (www.wolvershillmasterplan.co.uk/).
I thought it would be helpful to outline my position on it.
It's worth saying that no decision has yet been made, and it's not uncommon for different options to be discussed/considered, but I have read the details and met with the developers to discuss the scheme and particularly focussed on what the impact of a closure could be on airport roundabout and A370 (as opposed to the option of there being no closure), which I know is a concern for people due to the current capacity issues on these roads.
In short: I'm against any plans that would see the permanent closure of the Wolvershill Bridge because modelling indicates that some of that traffic would dissipate around airport roundabout/A370, which is already constrained, and I feel keeping it open, particularly as there is public support for that, seems the most sensible option.
I've already raised these concerns to the executive member for highways and I'm more than happy to support those campaigners who are calling for this to be kept open should you need any help, if/when it gets to that point.
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Appreciate you've replied to me already but please let me know who I can pass these concerns to! Any idea when Beaufighter Rd will be extended? This will be essential in my opinion when the railway bridge is closed and more traffic will be forced along the Runway. Also more and more buildings are being built and Beaufighter Rd is in a terrible condition.
I am in full agreement with you
More traffic at he airport roundabout about time there are traffic lights on the roundabout as its a nightmare getting out of Weston Village.
Announcement by Mark Canniford today.
Lobbying for Junction 21 improvements
Improvements to the motorway are the responsibility of Highways England and I recently wrote to them to outline the issues that commuters are facing and asked them to provide further information about their plans to improve road capacity. I specifically outlined the potential to dual the single northern slip road leading to Junction 21, as well as the appetite for a Junction 21a.
You can see Highways England’s response below, but in summary they are:
- preparing for significant refurbishment works at Junction 21 St Georges Bridge
- investigating the opportunity to incorporate widening of the northbound slip
- In a few years they’ll undertake further studies which is a further opportunity to make the case about junction 21a
These are positive developments but currently we won’t know if these activities are going ahead until Highways England receives the funding, which could be late 2024.
Pressing the council for road improvements
I’ve also discussed the need to improve malfunction junction and the A370 with North Somerset Council and currently there are no schemes planned to improve the A370, but there is work ongoing to look at what improvements could be made to malfunction junction.
We’ll have to wait and see what materialises over the next few months.
GET IN TOUCH
I can help residents with various local issues who live in the ward of Winterstoke (Weston-super-Mare) which includes Haywood Village, Locking Castle and Weston Village.
Please use the contact form to get in touch with me. Please remember to provide as many details as possible, including your name, address and full details of your issue.