Safety defects on the M49 'ghost' motorway junction, which has not been used by a single vehicle since it was built seven years ago, were known about for months before the public was told there would be more delays to its opening.
National Highways, the government body responsible for England's roads, has refused to reveal how long it has been aware of the defects on the M49 junction 1. However, the Department for Transport (DfT) told Bristol Live it was informed of "likely issues" as early as January this year.
History of the Junction
The two-bridge junction was built by National Highways in 2019 at a cost of £50m, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion on local roads, including the A403, while providing an economic boost to the Avonmouth and Severnside area.
The roundabout was meant to be linked to a neighbouring industrial estate housing major companies including Amazon and Tesco, but work on the project stalled after a dispute arose in 2021 over who was responsible for building the slip road.
Delays and Defects Revealed
After years of disagreements, South Gloucestershire Council finally secured an extra £7m from the DfT for the link road and started construction work last September. The authority had been planning to open the road to traffic early next year, a full eight years after the motorway junction was first built.
In June, however, National Highways publicly admitted the junction had "defects" and could not be used for safety reasons, meaning the new slip road would also not be able to open to drivers.
FOI Requests and Responses
Bristol Live submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request to National Highways in June to establish how long the agency has known about the problems, how long they will take to fix, when it will finally open, and how much it will cost taxpayers. Similar questions were put to the DfT.
National Highways first responded in July to say it needed more time to answer the questions as the information requested was "complex and voluminous" and it was "impracticable" to comply within the 20-day period. It has now replied again to say it has not reached any conclusions about the scope of any remedial works that might be necessary, or the cost, timetable or identity of any contractor.
It told Bristol Live it was withholding the information as it would "adversely affect" the commercial confidentiality attached to its investigations. It also refused to confirm how long it has known of issues with the junction.
In a statement it said: "National Highways became aware of a number of potential issues, which we commenced an investigation into. Those issues remain the subject of ongoing analysis, and we are unable to provide the information."
It added: "In the circumstances, the presumption in favour of disclosure in the public interest does not tip the balance against the exemptions applied for all of your questions. We remain committed to opening the junction as this will benefit the regional economy and communities. For safety reasons any defects must be addressed before we can connect it to local authority roads."
DfT's Knowledge and Council Response
Meanwhile, Bristol Live submitted a separate FOI to the DfT, also in June. The department responded within the 20-day timeframe, admitting it was first informed by National Highways of "likely issues" with the M49 Avonmouth junction on January 15 this year. It revealed that the problems were being caused by the "structural integrity of the embankments".
However, the DfT said the full extent and nature of the defects had not been confirmed at the time and National Highways was undertaking further investigatory work to better understand the condition of the junction and determine what remedial works might be needed. The DfT also said National Highways was "still determining" any costs and refused to say whether it would provide any further funding for the scheme.
Bristol Live was told, however, there were "ongoing discussions" between National Highways and its contractor.
Elsewhere, South Gloucestershire Council has previously said it shared the "anger and disbelief" with local residents over the saga. Despite the setbacks, it is understood the local authority remains on track to complete the construction of the link road by the end of the year, although it is not known when traffic will be able to use it.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said: "Although we were aware National Highways were carrying out checks at the M49 Junction 1 gyratory in early 2026, we were informed in June that the defects that had been identified would need to be addressed before the junction could open. We do not expect to receive any further updates until autumn, as indicated by National Highways."
Local Concerns and Political Action
Pilning and Severn Beach Parish Council, meanwhile, has raised concerns about the number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) causing damage to the roads in the villages surrounding the junction while it cannot be used.
"The parish council shares the frustration of residents and local businesses regarding this delay," it said. "While safety must remain the priority, our community cannot be expected to absorb the impact of this situation without support."
The parish council has called for more road maintenance on routes being used by high volumes of traffic, the monitoring of HGV movements through villages and "clear, regular and timely" updates from National Highways.
One local resident told Bristol Live: "The residents of Hallen and of Pilning villages are heartily fed up with the situation. The level of traffic grows as each unit of warehousing comes into use. The counter to that is that there is a lot of new commercial development standing vacant because of the motorway not being connected, and because the public transport is inadequate so would-be occupiers of the buildings are reluctant to commit until they can see how their workers and their goods will get to the new premises. Whilst the Government wants the West of England to go for growth, and this Enterprise Area is supposed to be a part of that, no-one is connecting the dots and making it possible."
Claire Young, Lib Dem MP for Thornbury and Yate, has described the situation as "farcical". She has raised the issue in Parliament and has tabled a motion as well as put questions to transport minister Heidi Alexander.
An adjournment debate, which is essentially a public ministerial surgery within the chamber, is taking place on September 2. Ms Young says she plans to press the transport minister on the matter again and is collecting testimonials from residents as well as speaking to stakeholders in the meantime.
