Bosses at Ashton Gate Stadium have warned fans they can’t guarantee park and ride buses laid on for Saturday’s match will get to the ground before kick-off - because of the ongoing chaos of roadworks near the ground. Bristol City play their first home game in more than a month on Saturday, but the club has warned fans to leave home especially early or face missing the start of the game.
The city council has begun to repair the Avon Bridge, which carries the main A3029 Brunel Way dual carriageway from the Portway and Hotwells over to Ashton Gate, and it has been down to one lane for the past couple of weeks.
Read more: Council slammed for 'appalling timing' of third bridge repairs
Saturday’s game against QPR will be the first to take place since the start of the roadworks, and with that and the national rail strike the same day, the club has put out a special warning to fans to expect delays and to plan to arrive at the ground early. The club operates three park-and-ride matchday bus services, and are laying on extra buses from the three start locations at Brislington, Temple Meads and the Portway Park and Ride in Avonmouth.
These services run regularly up to around half an hour before kick-off, but the club is bringing them forward by 15 minutes, and is still advising people to get the earlier buses. “Our three matchday bus services will operate, however due to roadworks on the Brunel Way, we strongly encourage supporters to use the earliest service possible on all routes as we cannot guarantee that later services will arrive before kick-off,” a spokesperson has warned. “Journeys are expected to take longer.”
Bristol City is also telling fans arriving in their own cars to re-route around the Brunel Way bridges - which have seen long delays even outside rush hours all week since the work began - and are advising people to seek alternative routes. “Fans approaching by car from north of the river Avon are encouraged to consider alternative bridges,” said a club spokesperson.
“For those using the M5, consider using Junction 19 at Portishead and travelling towards Ashton Gate along the A369. For those coming from north west Bristol, consider using the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and then the A369. For those coming from central/east Bristol or the M32, consider using Bristol Bridge and Coronation Road or Bedminster Parade,” she added.
Bristol City Council said Ashton Gate Stadium had been 'informed' of the timings of the roadworks, and said the work was necessary to fix the ageing concrete bridge structure, amid criticism from some South Bristol councillors that the work should have been done in the quieter summer months.
After not playing a men's team home game at Ashton Gate since the end of August, Bristol City have four home games in 14 days from Saturday - while the roadworks lane closures happen.
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