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(see transition and closure section).
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Work Starts on New A38 – M5 Link Road, Patchway, Bristol,
following £6 million from South West RDA
Work has started on the new East-West link road connecting the
A38 through Filton & Patchway to the M5 and Cribbs Causeway,
thanks to an agreement for £6 million in funding from the South
West Regional Development Agency.
This is part of the Northfield development on disused land to
the north of Filton airfield. The development, to be called
Charlton Hayes, will provide 2,200 new homes, a new school and
create up to 3000 new jobs across 66,000 m² of new business space.
New premises will also be built next to the local shopping centre
in Patchway (off Highwood Road).
The East-West Link Road will be a dual carriage-way running from
the Royal Mail depot (opposite Gipsy Patch Lane) on the A38 in
Patchway, through to the ‘San Andreas roundabout’ at Cribbs
Causeway (two down from the conical roundabout - the entrance to
Marks & Spencer at the Mall).
The road will run along the south side of the housing
development, currently Filton Airfield, bypassing the bottle-neck
at Highwood Road. It will complete the missing link for drivers in
North Bristol, connecting Cribbs Causeway (M5, junction 17) in the
west to Bristol Parkway, the M32 and Emersons Green in the
east.
As well as cutting congestion, the new road will allow
improvements to the orbital bus route and major new bus-only links
through the site and along the Highwood Road. This will provide
quicker and more reliable services, making public transport to and
from work a much more attractive option for the residents of
Charlton Hayes and beyond.
The new road will be finished in 2011 and is key to improving
transport links between this growing residential area and major
employment sites, and has been made possible through the Regional
Infrastructure Fund from the South West RDA.
Ian Piper, Director of Development and Regeneration at the South
West RDA said:
“At the moment there is a missing link between the A38 through
Filton and Patchway and the M5 and Cribbs Causeway. The RIF
investment will allow the developer to build the road now – before
the homes and business facilities are built. Easing congestion on
the local road network and creating dedicated bus routes will
benefit local residents and help businesses thrive.”
Dave Farley, Project Director for developer Bovis Homes
said:
“This East-West link road is fundamental to the whole
development, but when you’re building more than 2000 houses, the
kind of money required for major road projects just isn’t there at
the beginning. It’s thanks to the investment from the Regional
Infrastructure Fund that we’re able to get on and start this vital
part of the project as soon as we dig the homes’ first
foundations.”
The Regional Infrastructure Fund exists to help bring forward
new development that can’t proceed without upfront investment in
key infrastructure. The fund removes the uncertainty and allows
development to proceed. It then captures the contributions from
developers toward the infrastructure improvements and is re-cycled
within the Fund.
Notes to Editors
- Please see map / diagram attached for exact location / route of
new road.
- The new East-West link road is expected to be completed in late
2011.
- For more information on the Regional Infrastructure Fund, go to
www.southwestrda.org.uk/RIF
- The South West RDA works for and promotes a modern, stronger
and more resilient economy across South West England. Our work
involves creating better jobs, successful businesses, more
prosperous cities, towns and villages within an economy that uses
less carbon and will still be thriving in 20, 50 and 100 years
time.
For media enquiries, contact Kierstan Lowe or Sue Amiel at
Spirit Public Relations
klowe@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk
samiel@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk
0117 944 1415
www.spiritpublicrelations.co.uk