A Noteworthy Road• Experiment.
Page 27
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0NE OF the finest roads now under construction in. this country is what, will be knownas the Bristol to Avonmouth low-level road. This cutting was started some four years ago, and is now well over half finished. A great deal of work was entailed at the Bristol end owing to the fact that many thousands of tons of rock had to be cleared at Hotwells, as the new road follows very nearly the course of the River Avon.
Some particulars relating to the .road may be interesting to road users. The roadway, when completed, will be 84 ft. in width from kerb to, kerb, with a turfed sidewalk of 18 ft. on each aide, making a total width of 100 ft. It is proposed to plant trees on each side.
The method employed in the construction of the roadway is most interesting, end is more or less an experiment in this country. The actual road width is divided into three tracks—the outside tracks, which are 20 ft. in width, being made of reinforced concrete, and intended for use by all kinds of heavy.
commercial vehicles, whilst the centre, which, of course, occupies the remaining 24 ft., is constructed of a certain bitumen preparation and is intended for light business motors and private cars.
Shirehampton railway station lies on this new highway., shout midway between Bristoland Avonmouth, which, fo..the greater part of its length, is per
fectly flat. The old road runs to the right of this, through Shirehampton village. It is Very narrow in places, has several bad corners, and one or two stiff hills, so that the new road will be a great improvement and supply a longfelt want for a connection between the busy docks at Avonmouth and Bristol.
Itwas intended to run a service of rail-loss buses over this new road, but there has been a good deal of opposition to this proposal by the Bristol Council, and the whole matter of passenger transport has therefore been shelved for the present, until some definite decision Cart be arrived at.There is no doubt at all that., so soon as the new road is open, a very efficient motorbus service will be in operation. The length of the road now under construction is roughly about five miles.