Twerton Fork

Twerton Fork lies on the west side of Bath, where the short Dualled section from The Globe Roundabout ends. The A4 effectively TOTSOs here, as it forks off to the left across Newbridge, while the main route straight ahead is the A36 Lower Bristol Road. The junction is controlled by traffic signals, although eastbound traffic on the A4 has a slip lane which gains priority over traffic turning right from the A36. The reason for this is, of course, that very little traffic will be turning right from the A36 as it is effectively doubling back on itself, albeit that the next crossing of the Avon is Windsor Bridge, some distance to the east.

History

There is a very good reason why the fork gives priority to A4-A36 traffic. It is not solely because that is the primary route, and a far better route into the city centre, it is also because way back in 1922 it was the A36 that continued westwards to Bristol. The A4 stopped back in the city centre, and the road across Newbridge was the B4044. This anomaly persisted until the mid 1930s when the A4 was extended to Avonmouth, along the former A36 from Twerton Fork onwards.

In the early 1970s there were plans to bypass Saltford to join up with the existing Keynsham Bypass. The bypass would run along the abandoned railway and the junction would be replaced with a large roundabout. Provision is made for future grade separation which points towards the equally unbuilt Bath Tunnel scheme.

1972 proposal

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A4	Bristol, Corston, Wells (A39)
A36	Lorry route - Bath, Twerton, Oldfield Park
A4	Bath, Newbridge ¼, Weston 1½, RUH 1½	No HGVs