M4 J18a - Cabinet set to support Western option

Following last year's consultation on a possible new junction 18a on the M4, South Gloucestershire's Conservative Cabinet looks set to support the Western option via Emersons Green as the preferred route.

This option involves re-aligning the motorway at Henfield. Residents have already contacted us to raise concerns. As yet we have seen no plan for how they intend to manage the additional traffic this will push through our villages and the residential roads in the south of Yate. Nor have we seen a plan for how, when or where a link will be provided from the new junction to Yate and how that will feed into the already congested road network in the town. If these issues are not properly addressed ahead of time, this new junction will just add to local transport problems.

Reminder - Junction 18a drop-in on Monday

On Monday (11th September) there will be a drop-in event from 4pm to 6.45pm at Westerleigh Village Hall where you can find out more about the proposals for a new junction 18a on the M4.

More information can be found at http://www.southglos.gov.uk/M4J18a and if you can't make this event, there are others, including 4pm to 7pm on Tuesday 19th September at the Shire Way Community Centre, Yate.

It's important that everyone lets the council know their views on these proposals, as any new junction could have a major impact on our area. We're keen to hear from you too - please fill in our very brief survey here.

Have your say on J18a options

This week South Glos Council launched a consultation as part of a feasibility study into options for a new motorway junction, 18a, to link the M4 with the A4174 ring road. The consultation runs until Monday 16 October. This could have a major impact on our area so it's vital everyone has their say.

The Conservative-run council are looking at two options:

Western route

This route would use Westerleigh Road and the A4174 ring road adjacent to Lyde Green in Emersons Green. This would mean the new Junction 18a could be located to the north west of the Lyde Green development. It would require some realignment to the M4 itself.

Eastern route

This route explores the potential of building a link road and junction to the north and west of Pucklechurch. This would require the creation of a new link road, but a new motorway junction could be accommodated without the need to realign the M4.

You can find out more and have your say at http://www.southglos.gov.uk/M4J18a

Claire Young helped Westerleigh and Dodington Parish Councils to arrange drop-in events as part of the consultation:

• Monday 11 September, 4pm to 6.45pm at Westerleigh Village Hall, Shorthill Road, Westerleigh, BS37 8QN 
• Tuesday 19 September, 4pm to 7pm at the Shire Way Community Centre, Yate, BS37 8YS 

Details of other events can be found on the consultation web page. Any questions can be emailed to transport.policy@southglos.gov.uk - and do let us know your views too.

M4 J18a proposals - ways to have your say

South Gloucestershire Council have published proposals for a new junction 18a on the M4. They are in the early stages of a feasibility study and you will have a chance to have your say in a formal consultation starting next month. You can pre-register your interest in the consultation here.

Last week Claire Young attended an open-air meeting at Pucklechurch about the junction. There is strong opposition there to the Eastern proposal, which would involve building a link road near the village. You can read what the Parish Council has to say here.

 

There were mixed views expressed on the western proposal, close to the science park. Westerleigh village residents who attended were worried that either option would lead to a big increase in traffic through their village. Your Focus Team raised concerns about the limited scope of the feasibility study when the council decided to accept the money from the Government to carry it out. We do not think any option should go ahead without action to prevent serious knock-on impacts on the surrounding roads and communities.

Claire has been helping Westerleigh Parish Council to arrange a drop-in session where officers from South Gloucestershire Council will be available to answer your questions and hear what you have to say. It will take place from 4pm to 6.45pm on Monday 11th September in Westerleigh Village Hall.

Study into new motorway junction

At last Wednesday’s Environment and Community Services committee, it was agreed that South Gloucestershire Council would accept £500,000 funding from the Government to carry out a feasibility study into linking the M4 with the Avon Ring Road (A4174) with a new junction 18a. The study has to be completed by spring 2018.

Ahead of the meeting, we asked officers to clarify whether this would also look at the link road to Yate proposed in the Joint Transport Study (JTS). We were advised that the offer of funding from the Department for Transport is very specifically for a new motorway junction and link to the ring road, but the study would consider interaction with other potential schemes emerging from the JTS, such as a link to Yate. We tried unsuccessfully to get an amendment clarifying this but it will have been minuted.

Managed motorway plans - find out more

The Highways Agency are to hold two exhibitions to explain their plans for the M4 between junctions 19 and 20 and the M5 between junctions 15 and 17.

The Agency will start preparatory work for an £88.6m managed motorway scheme on Monday 7th November. The scheme will involve using variable speed limits and using the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane to ease congestion. The work in full is expected to start between January and March 2012, with completion in 2013-14.

The details of the work will be made public at exhibitions in Bradley Stoke on Friday 4th and Patchway on Saturday 4th November. The prepatory work will include installing traffic management and site clearance. The hard shoulder will be closed in sections, with three lanes open in both directions. A 50mph speed limit, enforced with average speed safety cameras, will also be in place for the safety of road users and the workforce.

The M4 M5 public exhibitions will be held at:

Baileys Court Activity Centre
Baileys Court Road
Bradley Stoke
BS32 8BH
on Friday 4 November, between 2 pm and 8 pm;

and:

Coniston Community Centre
The Parade
Coniston Road
Patchway
BS34 5LP
on Saturday 5 November, between 10 am and 4 pm.

You can find out more on the Highways Agency website.