New path to help cyclists cross Brunel Way

Work starts this week on a new Cycling City project to improve access from the west of the city centre to Ashton Vale, avoiding the busy Brunel Way.

The 260m pedestrian and cycle path will formalise an existing "desire line" (or informal shortcut) from Winterstoke Road to Ashton Avenue swing bridge near the Create Centre, benefitting people travelling between south-west Bristol and the city centre.

This will make it safer for a number of people travelling to and from facilities in this area, including students attending Ashton Vale school, Bristol City football club fans and residents of Ashton Vale.  It will also help people access businesses on the Ashton Gate trading estate.

The 3m wide path will run along a disused track from Ashton Avenue Bridge, under Brunel Way, which is a busy dual carriageway, and onto the site of the former Megabowl complex

The funding for this project, which will cost in the region of £50,000 comes solely from the 'match funding' element of the Cycling City programme. The match funding is part of the devevelopment contribution known as Section 106 funding that has been provided by the Taylor Wimpey housing development on the old Megabowl site adjacent to the gyratory road leading from Bedminster. Technical drawings of the plans are available below.

This development consists of 31 apartments and penthouses and includes a sustainable travel route as part of the planning conditions.

Work on the Brunel Way crossing is expected to take seven weeks and is due to be complete by the end of February. It is hoped that this path will link up with a shared use path on Winterstoke Road, which is earmarked for construction in 2010/11.

A pdf of the route is available to download below.

Downloads: 

Map showing the route between Ashton Avenue bridge and Winterstoke Road (112kb)