A major Bristol road could become the "world's most expensive bus lane", according to a local councillor. Over £23m has been committed to upgrading the A4 Portway, with construction work already under way.
The scheme includes 24-hour bus lanes, reduced speed limits, improved junctions, road resurfacing and enhanced shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. A report presented to Bristol City Council's audit committee revealed the project ranks ninth in the authority's top 10 largest expenditure schemes.
Councillor's comparison to 1926 construction
Cllr Jonathan Hucker (Conservative, Stockwood) told the meeting: "The Portway is costing a colossal amount of money. When it opened 100 years ago in 1926, the Portway was the world's most expensive road."
"It cost £800,000 then to construct – £42m in today's money. So I would be interested to see how that compares with the Portway project today. When it was the world's most expensive road then, I suspect it will have the world's most expensive bus lanes when the project is finished," he told the meeting on Tuesday, September 29.
Budget increase and funding source
Councillors sitting on the transport and connectivity committee approved a budget increase of £1.35m - raising the total from £21.7m to £23.1m - back in February, citing escalating costs. Funding for the project is sourced from central government and channelled through the West of England Combined Authority (Weca).
Political reactions
Bristol Conservatives have previously condemned the scheme as an "appalling waste of public money" and claimed it would make it more difficult for vehicles to navigate the city. Labour supported the road alterations when it controlled the council, and they have since been adopted by the Green-led administration.
The Portway runs from the M5 at Avonmouth, through the Avon Gorge, onto Hotwells Road.
