The Stoke Gifford Transport Link has now opened to traffic. The new road was built as part of the MetroBus project and forms an essential part of the new MetroBus route between Cribbs Causeway and Hengrove.
The new 1.6 km road is called Rosedown Avenue and connects the A4174 ring road at Harry Stoke with Great Stoke Way. The new road will speed up journey times in and around Stoke Gifford and help reduce congestion around Abbey Wood.
Councillor Matthew Riddle (leader of South Gloucestershire Council) planted a tree alongside the road to commemorate the opening.
“This is a very exciting day for the region,” said Councillor Riddle. “MetroBus has built a road that will bring significant improvements to the region. It will take traffic away from unsuitable residential areas and provide local businesses with a long awaited direct route from Aztec West to the M32 and the city centre. The planting of a tree is highly symbolic. The MetroBus project is about sustainable transport for the future. It’s about tackling congestion, improving air quality and making the region a better place for us, our children and grandchildren to live. The planting of trees along the road is a daily visible reminder of our environmental responsibilities.”
MetroBus is a rapid public transport system being brought to the region by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils. It will quickly transport large numbers of people using segregated busways, bus lanes, priority at junctions and off-bus ticketing. MetroBus will be a smarter way of travelling that will be reliable, reduce congestion and cut levels of pollution.
The 50km MetroBus network will provide direct routes to key destinations around the area, enabling thousands of people to access employment, education and leisure opportunities.
Cllr Matthew Riddle’s said: “Thank you all for attending today. We are here this morning to plant a tree to commemorate the opening of the Stoke Gifford Transport Link, which will be officially known as Rosedown Avenue.
“The road proposals date back to the mid-1980s when a Winterbourne bypass was identified and again mentioned in the Avon County Structure Plan of 1994 to provide a strategic route between Yate and Bristol.
“A first section of the bypass (Great Stoke Way) was constructed and opened several years ago. The new Stoke Gifford Transport Link now completes the link between Great Stoke Way and the A4174 Avon Ring Road.
“The Stoke Gifford Bypass Study in 2006, tested four route options linking Bristol Parkway Railway Station to the A4174 Ring Road. The current alignment was chosen and included in a bid to the Department for Transport as part of the MetroBus project in 2011.
“The road has now been delivered as part of the MetroBus Project, with funding from DfT, South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council which was announced in 2015.
“The design was undertaken by SGC and CH2M and Contract Management by Faithful and Gould. The main roadway has been built by Alun Griffiths Construction, with Network Rail building the bridge over the railway and Dawnus Construction building the bridge over the Ham-Brook.
“I’d like to thank everyone involved for bringing this important new link to fruition and once everything is ready, it will be opened to traffic later this afternoon”.
Please note: There will be an off-peak lane closure on Rosedown Avenue, Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 December for Alun Griffiths to dismantle their works site.
