A long-running campaign to get noise barriers installed along the M32 has been revived years after the plan was first proposed. Neighbours have repeatedly complained of the "intolerable" sound of motorway traffic from their homes, particularly along the Eastville stretch of the motorway.
In 2015 Highways England confirmed that it was considering installing the barriers along a two-mile stretch, but in 2022 there is still no sign of them. A new change.org petition has now been set up calling for the agency, now known as National Highways, to stop delaying the scheme.
In response National Highways told Bristol Live it is "committed" to taking steps to address the noise complaints. It said the noise barriers will be part of "upcoming work" at the M32 Eastville viaduct, but it did not give a specific timeline as to when this work would commence.
Read more: Christmas getaway chaos fears spark roadworks removal on major routes
The petition's author Richard Scothern wrote: "If you reside near the M32, or are a regular user of Eastville Park, Snuff Mills, Stoke Park and Purdown, you don't need me to illustrate how intrusive the noise is.
"When the M32 was built in 1966, there were approximately seven million cars on the road in the UK, and in 1990 there were 20 million; there are now 39 million. What structural alterations have been undertaken, since the number of cars on the M32 more than doubled in the late 1980's, to mitigate the corroborative increase in noise to nearby residential areas? The answer is: absolutely none.
"While [National Highways] put their hands over their eyes and pretend it's okay to delay the work for as long as is convenient for them, we are forced to put our hands over our ears."
He complained about a lack of communication since the scheme was initially announced, adding: "Highways England's recent carrot-dangling act is a further insult to the people of Bristol, as their empty promises have given people hope since 2015."
He referenced media reports including a Bristol Live article from last year in which Highways admitted work was unlikely to start until 2024. He claimed a resident has since been told that 2026 is now looking more likely.
Bristol Live approached the agency for comment on the petition and an update on the time frame for delivery. Ian Thompson, programme development manager for National Highways, said in response: “We understand the effects of noise on people’s health and noise barriers at Eastville are planned to be included in upcoming work on the M32 Eastville viaduct.
"This doesn’t mean that road noise can be eliminated altogether, this is not possible, but where we can, we are committed to taking steps to limit the effects." Highways England said it identified other emerging priorities for the M32 including new lighting, drainage and repairs to the bridge itself.
It said these represented a significant investment including the refurbishment of the viaduct and a new parapet, that will be combined with a noise barrier "where feasible". It also advised that if noise barriers had been installed previously, they might have had to be removed during this work at "additional cost and increased disruption".
Read next:
Clean Air Zone: The route in and out of Asda Bedminster which will avoid a charge
Bristol mobile speed camera locations from Monday, December 12, 2022
Bristol crash carnage sees lorry hit bridge and damage vehicles, trees and streetlights
Motorists should 'prepare for inevitable expansion' of Bristol's new Clean Air Zone
