The Highways Agency has forecast traffic
chaos during the rush hours at junction 19 of the M5 after all
the new houses have been built at Portishead marina. It claims
that during the evening peak period, queues will form all the
way across the Avon Bridge, making the motorway and junction
18 at Avonmouth more dangerous.
The agency's network strategy manager for the South
West, Ron Davies, claims the problem has been caused by the
increasing number of new homes being built at Port Marine
without it being consulted. The agency claims that North
Somerset Council has not done enough to keep it up to
date.
A total of 4,000 homes have been earmarked for
the marina, but the number could rise by a further
150.
In a letter to the council's planning department,
Mr Davies said: "Junction 19 will suffer extreme congestion
during the evening peak period with all the currently planned
development in Portishead completed and with the additional
150 homes.
"This will extend north all the way across
the Avonmouth Bridge and would be likely to compromise the
safe operation of the motorway and junction 18. The problem
has been brought about by the increased dwellings at Port
Marine on which the agency has not been
consulted."
Council spokesman Stephen Makin said: "The
Highways Agency was approached in 1997 at the outline planning
stage.
He said they had discussed other housing schemes
in the town with the agency.
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