A road user has claimed changes along a busy A-road on the outskirts of Bristol has "created a potential danger" despite being designed to make it safer. South Gloucestershire Council is carrying out a phased programme of improvements along the A432, but concerns have now been raised about the stretch of road in Yate.
The council is rolling out its four-stage plans to alter junctions and introduce new bus lanes and cycle lanes on the A432 carriageway to the A4174 Avon Ring Road. A public consultation was launched for major changes to the A432 which included the Badminton Road carriageway.
Some commenters raised concerns about the project's overall design, kerbs and widths of the pavement, but the work went ahead as part of the council's ambition to "create a convenient and useable facility for residents and visitors to and from Yate, including commuters". However, Yate resident Chris Hignell says it is hard to see the differentiation between the cycle path and the road - especially during wet and dark conditions.
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The council has said it is revisiting the stretch to lay a fresh and continuous road surface, and install new road markings and reflectors. The work, which started last Friday (January 13), runs from the Nibley Lane to Frog Lane junctions and will see the road closed overnight from 8pm to 6am to minimise disruptions until the end of the month.
A spokesperson said the works were "implemented around national guidelines for the design of high-quality, safe cycle infrastructure". However, occasional cyclist Mr Hignell told Bristol Live: “They [the council] have created a potentially dangerous stretch of road for all users, and now want to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to do what was planned initially - to make it safer than it currently is.”
The 64-year-old said he made his objections about the scheme known during the consultation period and when the works began, he felt that something was not right and the safety of road users was not properly considered. He added: "When they [council] finished the works it was clear the road was too narrow."
He claimed that while driving along the road, he witnessed the rear view mirror of a truck being ‘smashed off’ by another oncoming truck. He also said he saw vehicles accidentally mounting the low kerb, which he said should be factored into the council’s new refurbishment works to increase the depth and apply better marking for its start and end points.
Others have also shared concerns about a lack of segregation, saying there are parts of the A432 where the cycle and road traffic appear to be merged in a narrow lane.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: “This resurfacing is part of wider work to encourage sustainable travel options including walking and cycling on this key link between the A4174 Ring Road and Yate. Dedicated cycle lanes have been installed which are raised from the road surface and will help to keep cyclists segregated from traffic.
"The scheme has been supported by Sustrans and has been implemented around national guidelines for the design of high-quality, safe cycle infrastructure.” The council said the purpose of the upgrade was to ’form part of a wider programme of investment in buses and cycling across the West of England area', including by keeping cyclists separated from traffic and pedestrians and reducing the speed limit in some locations.
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