A key road through Patchway has been closed for “up to 16 weeks” to allow a pedestrian subway to be filled in and replaced with an ‘on the level’ zebra crossing.
South Gloucestershire Council says the scheme is needed because the parapet railings over the subway are in poor condition and “do not provide sufficient containment in the event of a collision”.
It also claims there is a “history of anti-social behaviour associated with the subway, including graffiti, broken glass and litter”.
A public consultation on the proposals held in November and December 2022 showed only limited overall approval, with just 30 of the 62 respondents saying they supported the infilling of the subway.
A significant proportion of the 31 respondents who opposed the infilling said they felt a zebra crossing would be more dangerous for pedestrians than the existing underpass, particularly for unaccompanied children.
However, a majority of the seven respondents who ‘considered themselves to be disabled’ supported the proposal to fill in the underpass.
In their consultation feedback report, published in December 2022, council officers wrote:
“In conclusion there is no overwhelming majority either supporting or rejecting the proposals consulted upon. However, there is significant support from key stakeholders (the police, town council and local primary school). Therefore it is recommended that the scheme to infill the underpass proceed to detailed design.”
Road closure
With effect from Tuesday 2nd January 2024, Coniston Road is closed from its junction with Blakeney Road (to the west of the work area) to its junction with Elmore Road (to the east).
Access to Blakeney Road and Elmore Road is still possible from the respective sides of the work area on Coniston Road.
Coniston Medical Centre, Coniston Community Centre, the shops at The Parade shops and the associated car parks all remain accessible via Blakeney Road.
Traffic diversion
The official signed diversion is to use Hayes Way “to avoid smaller residential roads becoming congested”.
Duration of work
In its December highways newsletter, published on 18th December 2023, South Gloucestershire Council said the work on Coniston Road was set to start on 2nd January 2024 and “could last up to two months”.
However, just five days later, on 23rd December 2023, a post on the council’s Streetcare Facebook page indicated a doubling of the estimated project duration:
“The work will last around 16 weeks and will finish by the end of April.”
The latter statement is supported by signs on site, which show an end date of 26th April 2024 (see below).
To add to the confusion, information on the one.network website indicates that the closure will run until 3rd June 2024. This is also the date used by the bus companies in their publicity (see below).
Bus diversions
Service 12
Information from the Stagecoach website:
A section of Coniston Road in Patchway will be closed from 3rd January 2024 to 3rd June 2024, and this means route 12 buses will be diverted via a different route.
Buses will run via Coniston Road, Rodway Road, Durban Road, Bradley Road, Stroud Road & Coniston Road.
Unfortunately, stops located on Bradley Road/Pretoria Road, Coniston Road/Bradley Road and Coniston Road Shops will not be able to be served.
Service 75
Information from the First Bus website:
Due to carriageway works to fill in the underpass, Coniston Road from the junction of Bradley Road to Stroud Road will be closed from 07:00 Tuesday 2nd January for a period of approximately six months.
Service 75 won’t be able to serve this section in either direction, and will operate instead via Bradley Road and Stroud Road in both directions.
Temporary bus stops will be placed on Stroud Road and on Bradley Road near Durban Road, and buses will also serve the normal bus stops along the diversion route.
Bus stop alterations
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council added:
“We will be installing a couple of additional, temporary bus stops along the diversion to reduce the distance you might have to walk to get to the bus [shown with a green cross on the map above].”
“If you are struggling to get to the nearest bus stop there is the Westlink Demand-responsive bus service; phone 0117 457 8561 or book online at travelwest.info/westlink/”
“The Westlink service is free to concessionary bus pass holders from 9am Monday to Friday and all day on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.”
Works completed
UPDATE added 28th April 2024.
The work to infill the subway and replace it with an ‘on-the-level’ pedestrian crossing was completed on Tuesday 9th April 2024 and Coniston Road has reopened to traffic.
Might have been an idea to have put the new double yellows in along Bradley Road due to be done 1 November 2023 – before you sent huge double decker buses down it every 20 minutes in both directions! Yet again Bradley Road is a rat run, the grass verge is chewed up and people do not go at 20mph more like 40. It’s Helllish dangerous for us residents – zero consideration – and we didn’t even want the underpass closed! Well done!
Love it can stay closed forever. I live right on Coniston Road, empty buses mostly all day and night traffic speeding crashes. Pot holes not repaired if they get repaired they reappeared 4 week later.