News / Transport
New bike lane will connect city centre to Temple Meads by January 2026
Work on creating a new bike lane and wider pavements on Victoria Street will start in October with the major project to transform the road running between Temple Meads and the city centre due to last until January 2026.
The plans include removing car parking spaces and constructing a two-way segregated cycling lane.
Traffic on Victoria Street became much quieter in 2020, when the bus gate on Bristol Bridge was installed, removing the route through the centre for most drivers, with a cycle lane now also in place on the bridge.
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On Victoria Street, new trees will be planted, and pubs and cafes along the road including the King’s Head and Origin will be able to put more tables and chairs out on the wider pavement.
Bristol City Council bosses are expected to sign off the latest stage of the project at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 6.
A cabinet report said: “The Victoria Street project and the Bristol Bridge project sit adjacent to each other and together form proposals to reallocate road space to sustainable transport modes, while keeping key vehicle routes moving, following implementation of the Bristol Bridge bus gate system.
“These changes will represent a significant change for the Victoria Street corridor and help make it more of a destination rather than just being a through corridor.
“The segregated cycleway will link up the shopping district to the railway station and to the east connect with the new cycleways on Counterslip and onward to the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.”
In 2022, major changes were made to Bristol Bridge, with much more space for people walking and cycling, and waiting times at the traffic lights improved.
Once the Victoria Street work is complete, cyclists will be able to travel safely from the city centre to Temple Meads.
The new cycle lane will make it safer to travel on two wheels from the city centre to Temple Meads – photo: Martin Booth
The new bike lane will link up to the existing one on Temple Gate, which has been fenced off since October 2022 after a fire at the Grosvenor Hotel.
However, demolition work of the derelict hotel has now begun, meaning the fences could soon finally be removed.
The Victoria Street project is expected to cost £5.5m, and would be funded through WECA.
The council’s cabinet will likely sign off the full business case and plans to bid for the funding from the combined authority.
Main image: Atkins Realis
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