Conservative councillors are demanding answers from the Council as to why the authority has allowed so many roadworks to take place at the same time across the Bath area.
The councillors want answers from Bath and North East Somerset Council as to why the Liberal Democrat-run authority has allowed so many roadworks to take place in the area all at the same time – causing gridlock on many of the area’s main roads and commuter routes.
Some of the roadworks are now months behind schedule – leading to the Council facing accusations of mismanagement and a lack of oversight on major capital projects.
Work on the Rossiter Road project in Bath is now at least five months behind schedule, whilst the installation of a pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Globe Roundabout on the A4 into Bath is now running up to two months behind schedule.
Some of the main sets of roadworks underway at the same time include:
- Work to install a pedestrian and cycle crossing at the Globe Roundabout on the A4, now running two months behind schedule;
- Temporary traffic lights on Newbridge Road near the Park & Ride;
- A contraflow and 30mph speed limit on the Keynsham bypass;
- Work on the A4 London Road, including narrowing a section of the road, in Bath;
- Completion of the roads and pedestrian crossings around the new Keynsham town centre;
- Temporary traffic lights on Silver Street in Midsomer Norton;
- Structural work on Midland Bridge in Bath, meaning the bridge is partially closed;
- A closure of the A36 between Bathampton and Monkton Combe by the Highways Agency;
- Work on the A37 near Clutton.
The combination of all the roadworks in the area have resulted in numerous reports of heavy tailbacks and gridlocked roads in many parts of the area.
Conservative Councillors have accused the authority of a lack of forward-planning and have described the delays to a number of the projects as ‘sheer incompetence’.
Conservative opposition spokesman for transport, Cllr Anthony Clarke, said: “You get the sense that nobody at the Council has any sort of grip on the situation on our area’s roads – or simply don’t care about the gridlock that people are facing on a daily basis.
“To allow so many roadworks to take place all at the same time demonstrates a complete forward-planning on the part of the Council, and the numerous delays to roadworks in both Bath and Keynsham are a result of sheer incompetence on the part of the Lib Dems running this Council.
“It seems that the Council simply doesn’t understand the need for people to get to work and school.
“There appears to be a complete lack of oversight and management of this major capital projects taking place across our area, yet nobody is stepping forward to give residents an explanation, let alone an apology. The Council simply must get a handle on this.”
Paul Crossley, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, responded to the above story, saying: “The Conservatives really are a broken record on transport.
“When they were running the transport portfolio, they were planning to put a two lane bus highway through the back gardens of Newbridge and a massive car park in the environmentally sensitive Bathampton meadows.
“In contrast the Liberal Democrats have, over the last 4 years: massively improved the bus infrastructure, increased park and ride provision, implemented many extra cycle paths and links, produce the first comprehensive strategy for transport ever from this Council.
“With specific reference to the examples – the A36 is a Highways England project, The Midland Bridge is a health and safety requirement.
“As for the London Road and Widcombe projects – well these were improvements the community has been asking for and were closely involved in the design.
“Unfortunately the contractor selected to deliver these project got into severe financial problems and this happens with the private sector from time to time.
“Both works are now nearly completed and will greatly improve Widcombe parade and London Road when complete.”