00:01A multi-million pound motorway junction near Bristol has been described as a ghost junction
00:06after defects were identified before it has ever opened to traffic.
00:10The junction was built over the M49 in late 2019, along with its slip roads.
00:16It was designed to connect motorway traffic with industrial sites
00:19in South Gloucestershire's Avonmouth Sevenside Enterprise area,
00:23but the connection to the local road network has never been completed.
00:26The issue has now been raised in the House of Commons,
00:29where Roads Minister Justin Madders told MPs that defects had been visible on the junction as early as 2021.
00:36Mr Madders said those defects included a loss of topsoil and surface cracking.
00:40He told MPs they were found through standard inspections carried out across the road network.
00:45At that stage, he said, the defects were not considered significant.
00:49National highways therefore put standard arrangements in place to monitor the structure.
00:53But that monitoring continued to identify concerns.
00:57Mr Madders said detailed investigations were commissioned in 2025,
01:02resulting in the identification of what he described as geotechnical issues.
01:07The minister said the investigations will allow the root cause to be understood,
01:11but stress the process is still ongoing and depends on engagement with the contractor.
01:16The junction is on the M49 between the M5 at Avonmouth and the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge across the
01:22River Seven.
01:23It was intended to provide motorway access to industrial development in the Avonmouth Sevenside Enterprise area.
01:31South Gloucestershire Council started work on the local link road intended to connect the junction to the surrounding network.
01:37That road was due to open later this autumn,
01:40But National Highways has identified defects which need to be addressed before the junction can safely open to traffic.
01:46That has prompted questions from Claire Young, the Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yates.
01:52She described the junction as a ghost junction and told the Commons that a structure completed six years ago
01:57cannot safely carry traffic until repairs are carried out.
02:00Ms Young also raised concerns about the effect of the unfinished connection on surrounding roads.
02:04She said the A403, the B4461 and other roads were facing misuse by HGVs,
02:12while horse riders, agricultural vehicles and families were finding it difficult to access them.
02:17Mr Madders said the government had already provided around £10 million of support for development of the link road.
02:24He said National Highways must identify the right engineering solution,
02:28agree an appropriate delivery route to protect taxpayers' interests and provide realistic timescales.
02:33Importantly, Mr Madders said there is currently no definitive timeline for the remedial works.
02:39He explained the responsibility, liability and funding remain subject to technical and commercial discussions.
02:45Once those discussions are complete,
02:47National Highways will be able to develop detailed designs for the necessary remedial works
02:52and establish a delivery programme.
02:54For now, the timetable remains uncertain.
