A new report has revealed the most traffic-clogged major road in Bristol. The Road Delay Report looked at data for 2023 and found that the A432, which encompasses Stapleton Road, Fishponds Road and Badminton Road along its route, had over two minutes of delays per mile on average.
The report took data from gov.uk and looked at how many seconds a vehicle was delayed per mile travelled on average. The data showed delays from Bristol’s motorways and major A roads (which were grouped together) and 'local' A roads.
The top five most traffic-clogged roads in Bristol were all defined as “local” A roads. In total 9 A roads had delays of more than a minute per mile on average, when compared to one area of the motorway which had more than a minute delay.
READ MORE: Bristol Bears apologise to fans after seating fiasco
READ MORE: 14 forgotten photos show life in 1950s Bristol
The A432, running from Easton to Old Sodbury, had delays of 126.3 seconds per mile, which was followed by the A38 with 111.2 seconds of delays and the A37, which goes from Totterdown to Whitchurch before leaving the city, had 100.6 seconds. The M32 going southbound at junction three had the most delays on a motorway affecting Bristol, with 86.6 seconds of delays per mile on average in 2023.
The top 10 major roads with the most delays per mile in Bristol:
A432 (Easton to Old Sodbury) - 126.3 seconds
A38 (which travels through Bristol from Bedminster Down to Bishopston and Filton) - 111.2 seconds
A37 (Totterdown to Whitchurch) - 100.6 seconds
A420 (Old Market to Warmley) - 95.8 seconds
A4044 (City Centre) - 89.7 seconds
M32 southbound at junction three - 86.6 seconds
A369 (Ashton Court to Portishead) - 82.6 seconds
A4174 (Brislington to Long Ashton) - 77.2 seconds
A4018 (City Centre to Cribbs Causeway) - 75.3 seconds
A370 (Redcliffe to Weston-super-Mare via Ashton Court) - 70.3 seconds
The motorways, despite not having as big of delays as the 'local' A roads, still had noticeable delays. Four motorway areas, all on the M32, had delays of more than 30 seconds per mile travelled. The only major A road which made the top 10 was the A4 eastbound, between the Portway roundabout in Avonmouth (the B4054) and the A4162 Sylvan Way in Sea Mills, which had a delay of 32.2 seconds per mile.
The top five motorways and “major” A roads in Bristol with the most delays per mile:
M32 southbound at junction three - 86.6 seconds
M32 southbound between junctions two and three - 43.1 seconds
A4 eastbound between the B4054 and A4162 - 32.2 seconds
M32 northbound between junctions three and two - 32.1 seconds
M32 northbound at junction three - 31.7 seconds
According to the report, the A5204 in Westminster is the road with the most delays in the UK. It has a delay of 471 seconds per mile on average, the equivalent of nearly eight minutes delay per mile.
What are the roads like in your area? Let me know at alex.driscoll@reachplc.com.
