Councillors have today declared their support for local residents who want to see changes made to the Hambrook junction.
The Conservative councillors on South Gloucestershire Council who represent wards affected by the Hambrook junction – Winterbourne, Frenchay and Downend, Stoke Gifford and Emersons Green – are calling on the council to either reopen the right turn or to explore alternative options that will reduce journey times for drivers.
Jack Lopresti, the Conservative MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, is also backing residents who are calling for changes.
A petition has been started by a local resident that calls for the council to reinstate the right hand turn and allow traffic to come straight across the junction from Frenchay. At the time of writing, the petition has almost 4,000 signatures.
Residents have complained that, with the M4 bridge at Badminton Road currently closed, removing the right turn has left them with only one way into Hambrook and one way out.
Cllr Liz Brennan, Conservative ward councillor for Frenchay and Downend, said: “Residents in Frenchay and Downend are suffering due to the current road layout at the Hambrook junction, and today I’m asking the council to rethink its approach.
"While I accept that the right hand turn restriction was initially introduced in order to improve air quality, the increased journey times that have resulted mean we risk pushing the problem elsewhere. We need a better solution that works for all residents.”
Cllr Keith Cranney, Conservative ward councillor for Stoke Gifford, said: “The current road layout at the Hambrook junction clearly isn’t working and I fully support residents’ attempts to get the council to look at what it can do to improve the situation.
“We have to ensure that any permanent solution works for everybody, and the current arrangement is hugely problematic for a large number of people.”
Jack Lopresti, Conservative MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, said: “The situation at Hambrook junction is intolerable and creates inconvenience for local residents and visitors alike. I have experienced this myself and many constituents have got in touch to voice their frustrations too.
“That is why I will be petitioning the House of Commons and the government to urge South Gloucestershire Council to restore the junction to how it used to be, before these measures were taken.”
