Major new study planned to tackle 'deathtrap bridge'
25th September 2007
Council proposals to commission a major study into the options for improving safety at a bridge labelled a ‘deathtrap’ by local people have been given an enthusiastic welcome by Prospective Filton & Bradley Stoke Conservative MP Jack Lopresti.
The Conservative Council announced earlier this month its proposal to invest £25,000 in a study looking at options for the subway under Parkway railway bridge. Potential options include tunnelling a new pedestrian subway through the embankment.
Jack Lopresti comments, “This is a major safety issue affecting thousands of local people, in particular the safety of young people who have to use this subway on their way to Filton High School. Currently a huge volume of traffic and pedestrians have to fight for space through the perilously narrow subway under the railway line. I share local residents’ deep concerns about this and am not surprised that it is viewed as a deathtrap and accident waiting to happen.”
“The real cause of this problem is that the road simply isn’t designed to cope with the huge volume of traffic pouring through each day. Ultimately the only solution to tackling this nightmare is to build the Stoke Gifford bypass, however this is still some years off and we need action now.”
Earlier this year Stoke Gifford Conservatives launched a major petition calling for action on the underpass.
Cllrs. Keith Cranney and Justin Howells comment, “The bridge was built at a time when the traffic volume coming through Stoke Gifford was a fraction of what it is now. With the building of 8,000 houses at Bradley Stoke and huge commercial development in the surrounding area these very narrow roads are absolutely saturated with heavy volumes of traffic.”
“We have regularly seen large vehicles coming very close to pedestrians on the pavement and we are deeply concerned that sooner or later someone is going to be seriously injured or killed as a result of this. There is enormous local support in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke, Harry Stoke, Bradley Stoke and beyond to find out what can be done.”
Cllr. Brian Allinson, Conservative Cabinet Member for Transport who is proposing the study comments, “I am very much aware of the enormous and understandable local concern about this issue which is why I am proposing a full investigation into what options the Council has to deal with it. This could affect the operation of the main railway line which complicates this issue and means we would need Network Rail to agree to any proposal. We also know that tunnelling an additional subway into the embankment has been costed in the region of £1.5million so we will also need to consider how this might be funded if it is possible to proceed. However we are determined to demonstrate to residents that we are serious about properly investigating and considering this important issue.”