Changes to Bristol Bridge, Baldwin Street and Union Street

What we're doing, access and alternatives routes, consultations and future plans.

There’ll be new traffic priorities from 2 August 2020 to restrict general through-traffic on:

• Bristol Bridge, from all directions
• Baldwin Street, between between St Augustine’s Parade and Marsh Street
• Baldwin Street to High Street, in both directions
• Union Street, left turn onto Rupert Street

This will change how private vehicles can access the area.

See these changes on our Bristol Bridge and Baldwin Street vehicle access map (pdf, 393KB) (opens new window) and our access map for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. (pdf, 267KB) (opens new window)

What we're doing

We’re installing bus gates on Bristol Bridge and at the entrance of Baldwin Street from the city centre to give priority to:

• buses
• solo motorcycles
• taxis
• cycles

See our City Centre transport improvements map (pdf, 372KB) (opens new window) .

These changes are part of our Bristol Transport Strategy and aim to help meet air quality and 2030 climate goals.

We are using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for this as it runs for 18 months. This would give us six months to test the changes and see if they could work in the long term. We want to get these changes done by late summer 2020.

Access

General access will be maintained via:

• Redcliff Bridge
• Queen Charlotte Street (including NCP car park)
• Marsh Street
• Broad Weir
• Newgate (including Galleries car park)
• Wine Street
• Lower Castle Street
• Redcliff Street
• Victoria Street and Counterslip

Access for all disabled parking and loading bays on Union Street, Horsefair and Penn Street will remain.

Alternative routes

The main alternative routes will be via Temple Way, Bond Street and Rupert Street.
These existing restrictions will be suspended so general traffic will be able to use these routes:

• suspension of prohibition of driving on The Horsefair and Penn Street to allow for “access only”
• suspension of bus lane and prohibition of entry eastbound on Newgate, on the edge of Castle Park, to provide access in and out of the Old City and Broadmead

Consultations and future plans

The consultation closed on 1 February 2021.

Before the end of the trial period, a decision will be made to either:

• permanently implement the scheme as it is
• remove and revert to the previous layout

This will based on the monitoring evidence and consultation responses.

We expect to make a decision in summer 2021, depending on the ongoing impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).