A section of a major walking and cycling path in Bristol is about to close for at least a year. Part of the Concorde Way that runs along Ashley Down will shut while a new train station is under construction.
The closure begins on Monday, March 6, and is scheduled to last a year, although this could likely last longer if there are delays in building the new Ashley Down train station. Local cyclists welcomed the station but criticised the “unsafe” diversion along a nearby busy road.
Pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted up Boiling Wells Lane, which runs through a working farm, and then along Muller Road, a main route for people commuting by bus and car. The diversion then rejoins the Concorde Way near the Aldi supermarket on Petherbridge Way.
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Labour Councillor Don Alexander, cabinet member for transport, said: “It’s exciting that construction work will be starting to bring a railway station back to Ashley Down that will serve the local community and be a valuable extra transport link, offering connectivity to the rest of the rail network, while reducing congestion on our roads.
“I would like to thank everyone for bearing with us throughout the temporary closure of Concorde Way. I know it’s a popular route for walking and cycling but it will all be worth it in the end, when we have a brand new railway station for everyone in the surrounding area to use.
“With work nearly complete at Portway, Bristol’s first new train station in almost a century, Ashley Down will soon be another step forward towards the mass transit system our city needs and deserves.”
The Concorde Way will close from the allotments up to Station Road, through to the junction between Station Lane and Muller Road. The closure is needed to allow space for workers to build the Ashley Down train station, a project delivered by the West of England Combined Authority, Network Rail, Bristol City Council and Great Western Railway.
Another part of the Concorde Way has been shut since April 2021, according to Ian Pond, chair of the Bristol Cycling Campaign. The section in between Bonnington Walk and Constable Road has been closed while a nearby housing development is built, although this has been hit by many months of delays. The diversion runs up the busy Wordsworth Road.
Connecting the centre of Bristol to the north of the city, the Concorde Way is a well-used and mostly off-road route for pedestrians and cyclists. Mr Pond said about 1,000 people cycle along Concorde Way each day, and called on the council to reconsider its planned diversion route.
Mr Pond added: “Opening the new railway station at Ashley Down is a really important part of providing local residents and commuters with better public transport options, and we fully support this. However, we consider that the official diversion has been rushed through and inadequately implemented, especially on the Muller Road. This is a very busy road without bike lanes along this section.
“It is clear that many of the around 1,000 cyclists who use the Concorde Way per day are going to ride on the road, especially those who are bike commuting. Inevitably, this means that the risk of incidents and injury during the closure will increase. We would have expected that steps would have been taken to reduce these risks, for instance, temporarily restricting the road speed or installing temporary bike lanes.
“Or even better to have constructed a parallel path along the edge of Fairfield School sports ground from Boiling Wells Lane. Sadly, this is another example of how Bristol City Council likes to make claims about its road user hierarchy but fails to prioritise the needs and safety of cyclists and walkers when making these decisions.”
The new Ashley Down train station will take passengers likely every half hour north to Filton Abbey Wood, and eventually to planned stations near the Brabazon arena and in Henbury. Trains running south will stop at Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Bristol Temple Meads.
Portway train station is due to open this summer, near an existing park and ride just off the M32. The station has been hit by months of delays, but will soon take passengers along the Severn Beach line into the centre of Bristol. Transport planners hope the station will reduce the number of commuters driving into the city, and cut down congestion and pollution.
