The A4 Bath to Bristol project
The A4 is one of the region’s main transport corridors and a key focus for future growth. It connects Bath and Bristol, as well as major innovation areas like Bristol’s Temple Quarter and Bath’s Riverside Innovation District, and provides vital links for communities like Keynsham, Saltford, Corston and Newton St Loe.
Anyone who travels on the A4 between Bath and Bristol knows that traffic can be a real problem – especially during rush hour. Over 62% of commuters drive to work between the two cities. Over the next 20 years, thousands of new homes are expected to be built in the area, which could only add to this congestion challenge.
For many of us, driving will continue to be the most convenient way to travel. At the same time, we also depend on buses, walking, wheeling, or cycling to get to work, school or appointments. By improving these alternatives, it will make it easier for people to leave the car at home when they want to, helping to ease congestion and keeping our roads flowing more smoothly for those who do need to drive.
The A4 Bath to Bristol project is designed to give people better options to travel sustainably and to make safer, more pleasant routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Most of the proposed improvements have been designed without removing existing traffic lanes. The scheme includes new bus lanes to support faster, more reliable journeys; upgrades to more than 100 bus stops; safer pedestrian crossings, including near local schools; and around five and a half miles (nine kilometres) of new and improved walking and cycling routes.
As well as these changes to the A4 itself, proposals include improvements to nearby side roads, safer routes around local schools, and improved pedestrian and cycle access to reach the A4.
By making these improvements to infrastructure we hope to create places where:
- More people choose to take the bus, walk, wheel or cycle
- Fewer cars need to be on the road, reducing congestion
- Local roads are safer
- Air quality improves
We are currently consulting on the Keynsham section of the project. We are keen to share our new transport plans for this area, which have been strongly influenced by feedback received since 2023.
The story so far
In 2021, the combined authority and local councils asked residents and businesses along the A4 to provide their opinions on local transport issues and where improvements could be made. We used this feedback to identify potential future improvements, which were then shared as part of a public consultation in 2023.
We reviewed all the feedback received in 2023 and updated our designs in response to this and further technical work. We presented updated designs for the A4 from Bath to Keynsham in October 2025. We have reviewed the feedback from this consultation, updated our designs and recently published a Consultation Report focusing on feedback relating to the Bath and North East Somerset Council area.
What’s next?
We have now completed design work on some elements of the project that were not ready for consultation in 2025. We would now like to hear your views on the updated proposals for the Keynsham section of the project.
What has changed since 2023?
Previous feedback raised concerns about the potential impact of new bus lanes and potential negative impacts on Memorial Park. These concerns particularly related to general traffic and journey times, and the environmental impacts of proposals in the park.
In response to this feedback, we have removed the proposed 24-hour bus lanes on the full length of the Keynsham Bypass. Instead, there are short sections of bus lane proposed on either side of the two new bus stops to help buses move in and out of the stops safely. This approach minimises impacts on drivers compared to a dedicated bus lane.
We have engaged with local councillors over recent months, and scaled back our proposals for Memorial Park. Instead of a mobility hub here, we are proposing a new pedestrian-only path in the park to reach the new bus stops and shared-use path on the Keynsham Bypass.
We will continue to listen carefully to local feedback as plans develop, using this to inform final proposals that strike the right balance and deliver long-term benefits for Keynsham.