Over-budget Portway should not be funded at the expense of Bristol’s road maintenance

Bristol Liberal Democrats have raised concerns that proposals to finance the £3 million over-budget A4 Portway works will come at the expense of safety and reliability for road users. A report being considered by the council’s Transport & Connectivity policy committee on the 22^nd of October proposes using funds currently earmarked for highways maintenance on the project instead.

The Portway works are funded by a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) grant, which is administered by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). The council had to submit a bid to the combined authority for funding and approval to carry out the project. However, costs have continued to rise beyond expectations, and the council is now asking Bristolians to foot the bill.

In this year’s budget, the Liberal Democrats secured an additional £1 million to go towards road maintenance. Now, that budget win is in danger of being for nothing, as the money could be diverted towards the over-budget project.

Cllr Nicholas Coombes (Liberal Democrat, Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze), member of the Transport & Connectivity policy committee, said:

“The council’s road maintenance budget should never be sacrificed to cover the overrunning cost of grand projects. The funds are needed day-to-day for safe and reliable infrastructure across the city, which are used by pedestrians, cyclists, bus users, motorcyclists and drivers alike. 

“Bristolians don’t want to cover the costs of an expensive project at the expense of the road outside of their house being filled with yet more potholes. People expect the council to get the basics right, and ensuring that roads are kept in good condition is one of them. That’s why we won an additional £1 million for road maintenance this year, which is in danger of being squandered by this plan.

“As the project is overseen by WECA, any extra costs incurred on the project should be covered by the combined authority, which holds the purse strings on large sums of money for improvements and upgrades in our city. We are calling on the WECA Mayor to step up and cover the costs, and allow the council to get on with the job of looking after our roads properly.

“If, regrettably, the money for maintenance must be used to balance the books for the project, it must be paid back by the end of the financial year.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Papers for the 22^nd October 2026 meeting of the Transport and Connectivity Policy Committee: ModernGov - bristol.gov.uk