Home / Business and Economy / Ghost Junction: UK Road Blunder costs Millions
Ghost Junction: UK Road Blunder costs Millions
7 Jun
Summary
- A £50m empty motorway junction has been unused since 2019.
- Drivers faced seven years of traffic chaos due to the delay.
- The project's delays caused spiraling costs and significant issues.
A £50 million motorway junction, completed in December 2019, has remained unused near Avonmouth, Bristol, a situation described as a "complete farce." This "ghost junction" was built without the necessary 160m link road, which was finally due to be completed in autumn 2026, seven years behind schedule.
Delays stemmed from a deadlock between landowners, South Gloucestershire Council, and National Highways over land ownership and responsibility for the link road. This caused truckers to endure seven years of congestion on local roads like the A403, leading to delivery delays and increased costs.
The project faced complications including fragmented land ownership, with over 20 different organisations involved. Additionally, ecological surveys for protected species like water voles and newts, along with rerouting a national cycle path, added further delays.
Despite the planning oversight and spiraling costs, the link road's completion is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the West of England's industrial area. It aims to provide much-needed resilience and capacity to the local road network, which generated £3 billion in GVA in 2023.
