A BUSY roundabout on the Avon Ring Road will have its lights switched off for 11 weeks over the summer as part of major road works.
The lights will go out on the Wick Wick roundabout, where the A4174 meets the A432 Badminton Road by the Willy Wicket pub, from June 16.
While they are off the junction will operate as a standard roundabout junction, with drivers giving way to traffic coming from the right.
Some temporary lights will be in place to provide a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing during the works.
Contractors have already started work to widen paths to help create two-way cycle lanes alongside the A4174, between Wick Wick and the Coldharbour Lane junction by UWE’s Frenchay campus.
When finished the project will include a permanently reduced 40mph limit on the westbound carriageway between the Bromley Heath and Abbey Wood roundabouts – the eastbound limit would remain at 50mph.
There will also be a new bus stop, an extension of the 2+ lane and new permanent crossings at the Wick Wick roundabout.
South Gloucestershire Council has sent a letter to residents living near the roundabout to inform them about the switch-off, and published details on its website.
The council said: “We understand that this may cause some disruption, and we appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete these important improvements.
“We need to replace the existing lights as they have reached the end of their recommended lifespan, and we also need to accommodate the new pedestrian crossing arrangements at this roundabout, while the M4 overbridge is closed.
“This will minimise disruption overall, as the traffic on the roundabout is lower than normal. We will continue to coordinate with National Highways as they rebuild the M4 overbridge.”
National Highways contractors will build platforms for piling rigs and other heavy machinery to construct the foundations of the new bridge while the council work is going on nearby.
End for machines
METROBUS ticket machines could soon be removed from bus stops, as only a few people actually use them.
The large digital screens, known as iPoints, allow passengers to buy a ticket before they board the bus, as well as giving information about when the next buses are due to arrive.
There are 90 iPoints across the network, including at stops on the A4174, and they were originally installed to give passengers a way of buying tickets before boarding the cash-free buses.
Bristol City Council, which manages the £331,000-a-year contract to maintain the machines, says only around 4% of passengers now use them, because most either use an app or tap-on with a card.
A council report said that while the iPoints were an “iconic presence as part of the flagship public transport service in the region” they are also expensive to maintain and don’t provide anything passengers cannot access in other ways.
Alex Seabrook, LDRS