Fears have been voiced over plans by the Council to undertake roadworks on a stretch of the A4 to the west of Bath whilst the Kelston Road remains closed.
The Council has said it plans to start work on installing a new cycle ramp linking the A4 to the Bristol to Bath Railway Path at the Twerton Fork junction on the 3rd November.
The work is expected to take up to six weeks and a lane closure will be in operation on the road for the first three and a half weeks of construction outside peak hours.
Conservative councillors have warned that, if the work goes ahead as planned, it could cause additional traffic misery in the run-up to Christmas at a time when the A4 is already having to cope with all the extra vehicles resulting from the closure of Kelston Road.
In addition to the closure of Kelston Road, traffic using the A4 to the west the city already has to contend with road works taking place outside the Newbridge Park & Ride.
Conservatives have said they support the creation of the new cycle ramp, but have called upon the Council the halt all non-essential roadworks on the A4 until Kelston Road has been reopened and work at the Newbridge Park & Ride completed.
Conservative Shadow Transport spokesman Cllr Anthony Clarke said: “Motorists travelling into and out of Bath on this side of the city are already having to put up with horrendous traffic on the A4 each and every day, exacerbated by the closure of Kelston Road and the roadworks outside the Newbridge Park & Ride.
“If the Council pushes ahead with lane closures and road works this can only make matters even worse.
“This seems a classic case of a lack of joined-up thinking from the Council, with the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
“It has already taken the best part of this year to get work started on the Kelston Road. The least the Council can do is halt all non-essential work on the A4, which is having to cope with all the diverted traffic.
“We hope the Council reconsiders these roadworks and doesn’t go ahead with them until the work on Kelston Road and the Newbridge Park & Ride are complete.”
