Pedestrian underpasses at the Lawrence Hill roundabout have repeatedly been hit by floods for over a decade. With even a little bit of rain, the underpasses flood leaving pedestrians to cross over the busy roundabout, despite ongoing promises to resolve the flooding issues.
The roundabout has now been renamed on Google Maps to the “Lawrence Hill Roundabout and Lido”. A local councillor said the years of flooding was “insulting” to people living in the area, while Bristol City Council has promised to carry out works at the end of this month.
In the long term, the council could even switch from underpasses to at-level pedestrian crossings, as flooding hits several other important subways across Bristol. Residents have been complaining to the council about the Lawrence Hill underpasses since at least 2012.
Read more: Fire crews rescue driver from car submerged in floodwater in Long Ashton
Green Councillor Yassin Mohamud, representing Lawrence Hill, tweeted: “It’s insulting to people in Lawrence Hill that the Labour administration has ignored this for so long. People are getting fed up with the delays and excuses — the council should prioritise it for permanent repair as soon as possible.”
Bristol Somali Community Association added: “How many more years do we need to wait for you to fix the underpass flooding of Lawrence Hill roundabout? Enough is enough.”
The underpasses are a particularly important and busy pedestrian and cycling route, connecting some of the poorest parts of Bristol through to Old Market and the city centre. According to the 2021 census, 44 per cent of people who live in Barton Hill and 56 per cent of people who live in Lawrence Hill don’t have access to a car or van.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “We are aware of this flooding issue and have used a camera to survey the drainage pipework at Lawrence Hill subway. It showed that tree roots have infiltrated the pipework in places.
“Work is due to take place on January 30 and 31, with a root cutter deployed to restore capacity to the pipework. We intend to sleeve the pipe to prevent further infiltration by tree roots, and in the longer term switch from underpasses to at-level crossings.”
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