Bristol Conservatives criticise council plans to change Portway road

The Portway route runs beneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge

Politicians have argued plans for new bus lanes and wider pavements will increase congestion and pollution along a popular route into Bristol.

A consultation into plans for the Portway, which runs from the M5 to the city centre, are under way.

Bristol City Council said the proposed changes will improve bus access and make walking and cycling safer.

Councillor Mark Weston has urged the public to voice their concerns over the "poorly conceived plan".

Bristol City Council's proposed changes include 24-hour bus lanes on both sides of the road, widening of the pavements, and reducing the speed limit in some areas from 50mph to 40mph.

The changes would result in less space on the road for drivers, which could lead to lengthy queues and longer journey times.

"The prerequisite for any capital investment in transport must be to improve travel around the city," said Mr Weston, leader of the Conservative group.

'Appalling waste'

"As things stand, these proposals will result in vehicular movements simply being made even more difficult."

The affected route runs from the M5 flyover, through the Avon Gorge and onto Hotwells Road, the Jacob Wells Road roundabout, Anchor Road, and up to Explore Lane.

"This redesign is an appalling waste of public money," Mr Weston added.

"There are some elements, like the resurfacing of the shared footway, which we could support. But the idea that widening these areas, at the expense of road capacity, to encourage large numbers of people to choose active travel is quite frankly fanciful and wishful thinking."

Bristol City Council has not yet responded to the concerns raised by the Conservatives, but have previously stated additional bus lanes would make services more reliable, and cyclists and pedestrians would benefit from widening pavements.

Labour Councillor Don Alexander, cabinet member for transport, added: "People who walk or cycle along the route raised issues of narrow shared spaces on pavements, the quality of the surface, and questioned the speed of traffic. In response, we've put together a series of proposals that answer many of these concerns."

The public consultation will run until November 12 and can be found online.

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