Land-buying starts for North Fringe-to-Hengrove scheme

The rapid transit route aims to improve connections South Gloucestershire to Bristol city centre

Privately-owned land along the planned North Fringe-to-Hengrove rapid transit route is set to be bought by South Gloucestershire Council.

The route is part of a major scheme to improve links to Bristol city centre by building bus lanes to cut congestion.

Councillor Brian Allinson said: "The more land we can buy up now from willing landowners along the route, the sooner we can start construction work."

The amount the council spends on buying land will remain confidential.

Work is expected to start on the rapid transit scheme in 2015.

The council has said it has not yet ascertained how much land will be bought as this will depend on negotiations with landowners.

Councillors on the cross-party committee also agreed to spend £4m on the A38 Gipsy Patch and Filton junction.

The Bristol North Fringe route will cost £102m in total with half of the money coming from the Department for Transport (DfT) and a further £51m coming from local councils and third-party businesses.

The route will see an extra bus-only junction added to the M32 between Frenchay and Easton.