Brockley Combe layout not linked to traffic incident, council says

The Brockley Combe changes have included:

• New bus lanes Bristol and Congresbury-bound tackling delays caused for buses heading from the airport and in both directions on the A370;
• Changing the current right turn into Brockley Lane and moving it to Chelvey Road further on the A370, to enable the junction to work more efficiently in light of the increasing number of vehicles using the junction.

The council have been in touch with police to determine if there was any correlation between the new layout and the accident.

A North Somerset Council spokesperson said: "The new bus lane meets government guidelines – it’s been tested, is wide enough for buses to use and First bus have approved it.

"We’re working urgently on the traffic light timings for the new bus lane – we expect these to be sorted by the end of next week which will make it quicker for buses to use and bypass queuing traffic.

"We understand a road traffic incident took place on the A370 on Friday. Thank you to the emergency services who attended.

"We’ve been in touch with the police who have confirmed that the incident took place after the traffic had gone through the junction safely and was not linked to the new junction layout.

"There are tight restrictions on funding from the Government and funds we successfully bid for can only be used on agreed schemes.

"This means the money we’ve been awarded for Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) works can only be spent on this – we can’t use the funding to fill potholes, carry out other works or fund other services."

Speaking about the changes last year, Cllr Hannah Young, executive member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, said: “The Brockley Combe junction has been identified as a pinch point from Bristol Airport and in both directions on the A370 towards Bristol and Congresbury.

"The changes will tackle delays at this busy junction, offering speedier bus services.”