Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall has welcomed the news this week that the commitment by central government to provide £500,000 worth of ‘feasibility funding’ to South Gloucestershire Council to investigate the case for a new Junction 18A has been confirmed by Central Government.
The funding secured after intense campaigning by MP Luke Hall, South Gloucestershire MP’s and South Gloucestershire Council will now be used by the local authority to conduct technical work looking into linking the A1471 with the M4 Motorway with hopes that a new junction will ease congestion around the northern fringe road network and the existing M32 Junction that connects Bristol with South Gloucestershire.
The local authority announced last week that it will now be appointing transport consultants to conduct the study which is estimate to be complete in 2018.
The Campaign for a new Junction 18A which expects to be located in the vicinity of Emerson Greens’ Bristol and Bath Science Park, has seen steady progress towards its next stages recently as momentum has built up around the project as key part of future infrastructure in South Gloucestershire.
Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall has consistently spearheaded and championed the campaign in the area, holding a debate in parliament, calling on the Government to consider the junction on 8th July 2015. Luke Hall and neighbouring MP Chris Skidmore also presented a letter signed by over 100 local businesses to the Transport Minister, Andrew Jones in November 2015.
Over 1000 residents have signed the petition for the new junction which has also been supported by the Gazette newspaper.
Luke said;
“This latest stage in the campaign to see a new junction 18A here in South Gloucestershire is extremely welcome and I’m delighted that the £500,000 worth of funding to looking into technical aspect of the scheme has now been confirmed. I would like to thank the Gazette, residents and local businesses for their support which has greatly helped me when making the case to government for this investment in our transport infrastructure”