| Five major changes planned for Bristol in 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:23, 1st January 2026 |     |
From the BBC:
Five major changes planned for Bristol in 2026
Some major projects are expected to be completed this year, which could have dramatic impacts on our city.
From the opening of a £11m youth zone to possible reforms to how vehicles move around Bristol, 2026 is set to bring some significant changes.
Below, we take a look at five of Bristol's biggest schemes for the year ahead - some definitely happening, others potential controversies to watch.
...
Car-free Park Street?
Under the new plans, cars will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end
At some point in the not-too-distant future, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is going to have to respond to Bristol City Council's request for money that would stop cars driving through one of the main streets in the city.
In March 2025, Green Party councillors approved the £15m plan to limit Park Street to only buses, cyclists and pedestrians. Under the new plans, vehicles will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end.
However, the funding needs to come from WECA, which has a budget from the government for "sustainable transport" schemes.
WECA is yet to respond to the council's request, but Labour mayor Helen Godwin previously said she was "very unsure" about the proposal. So will she give the council the money it wants? Either way, there will still be plenty of roadworks and building going on around the city.
Temple Quarter opens
The £23m Eastern Entrance is set to welcome its first rail travellers in September 2026
The Temple Quarter redevelopment covers an area roughly the size of a hundred football pitches - and while it will not be totally finished, parts of it are due to open towards the end of 2026. A new eastern entrance to Temple Meads will change the way people access the train station, with predictions it could be used by more than two million people per year.
The £23m project will connect with the University of Bristol's new Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in September. As well as providing a home for about 5,000 students and staff, the campus is expected to be a space for start-ups and community work, and will be open to everyone. It is the first major piece of infrastructure delivered under the ambitious Temple Quarter regeneration programme, which is being administered by WECA.
(BBC article continues)
Some major projects are expected to be completed this year, which could have dramatic impacts on our city.
From the opening of a £11m youth zone to possible reforms to how vehicles move around Bristol, 2026 is set to bring some significant changes.
Below, we take a look at five of Bristol's biggest schemes for the year ahead - some definitely happening, others potential controversies to watch.
...
Car-free Park Street?
Under the new plans, cars will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end
At some point in the not-too-distant future, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is going to have to respond to Bristol City Council's request for money that would stop cars driving through one of the main streets in the city.
In March 2025, Green Party councillors approved the £15m plan to limit Park Street to only buses, cyclists and pedestrians. Under the new plans, vehicles will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end.
However, the funding needs to come from WECA, which has a budget from the government for "sustainable transport" schemes.
WECA is yet to respond to the council's request, but Labour mayor Helen Godwin previously said she was "very unsure" about the proposal. So will she give the council the money it wants? Either way, there will still be plenty of roadworks and building going on around the city.
Temple Quarter opens
The £23m Eastern Entrance is set to welcome its first rail travellers in September 2026
The Temple Quarter redevelopment covers an area roughly the size of a hundred football pitches - and while it will not be totally finished, parts of it are due to open towards the end of 2026. A new eastern entrance to Temple Meads will change the way people access the train station, with predictions it could be used by more than two million people per year.
The £23m project will connect with the University of Bristol's new Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in September. As well as providing a home for about 5,000 students and staff, the campus is expected to be a space for start-ups and community work, and will be open to everyone. It is the first major piece of infrastructure delivered under the ambitious Temple Quarter regeneration programme, which is being administered by WECA.
(BBC article continues)
I have quoted from the BBC item selectively, concentrating on the main transport infrastructure aspects. CfN.
