Key Points
- Part of Victoria Street in central Bristol will close overnight for nearly two weeks from Monday evening, 29 June, because of resurfacing works.
- The closure will run between Temple Way and St Thomas Street East, from 7pm to 6am each night until 10 July.
- Signposted diversions will be in place, and the council has warned there may be delays to loading and unloading during the works.
- Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to access the road while the resurfacing takes place.
- The Novotel hotel can be accessed from the rear on Church Street via Temple Rose Street.
- When resurfacing is complete, Victoria Street is due to reopen to two-way traffic.
- The wider Victoria Street improvement scheme has been delayed by around half a year because scaffolding is blocking access near the Counterslip junction.
- Bristol City Council’s original expectation was that the work would finish this spring, but the end date has now moved to at least October.
Bristol city centre (Bristol Express News) June 29, 2026, as resurfacing works continue on Victoria Street, with the council saying the road will be shut between Temple Way and St Thomas Street East from 7pm to 6am each night until 10 July.
Why is Victoria Street closing overnight?
The overnight closure is being introduced to allow resurfacing work to take place on a busy stretch of road in central Bristol. Bristol City Council said the route will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists, but motorists, loading activity and deliveries may be affected during the closure period.
The council has also said signposted diversions will be used to keep traffic moving as safely as possible around the works.
What access arrangements are in place?
Access to the Novotel hotel will remain possible from the rear, using Church Street via Temple Rose Street. The council said that once the resurfacing has been completed, Victoria Street will reopen to two-way traffic. First Bus has also warned passengers that services 1, 2 and 72 will be affected by the closure dates, which reflects the wider disruption expected on the corridor.
How does this fit into the wider project?
As reported in the council’s own update, the resurfacing is part of a much larger overhaul of Victoria Street aimed at improving walking, cycling and public transport routes.
The wider scheme has been held up because scaffolding on the Milliners Building has blocked access around the Counterslip junction, delaying progress on the final section of the works.
The council had originally expected the project to finish in late spring 2026, but the timetable has shifted and the current anticipated completion point is now at least October.
What has Bristol City Council said about the delay?
Bristol City Council’s project page says construction work on Victoria Street began on 14 January 2024 and was expected to take around 15 months in phases, depending on weather and material availability.
The same council information says the road has been managed through partial closures and temporary signals during the works, with emergency access maintained throughout.
Reporting on the latest delay says the scaffolding should be removed by the end of June, after which the junction upgrade is expected to take place between July and October.
What is changing on Victoria Street?
The wider scheme includes a two-way separated cycle path, wider pavements, new pedestrian crossings and other changes to support active travel.
Bristol on the Move said the lower section of the road is close to completion and includes a large bus shelter with a “living roof”.
The final phase involves resurfacing at the Counterslip junction, which the council has described as the last major piece of the project.
Background of the development
Victoria Street has been the subject of a long-running improvement programme designed to reshape the road for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.
According to the council, the work began in January 2024 and has been delivered in phases, with some disruption continuing as the scheme nears completion.
The latest setback came when scaffolding related to work on the Milliners Building restricted access near Counterslip, forcing the timetable back by several months.
Prediction
For commuters, businesses and hotel guests in central Bristol, the next two weeks are likely to bring temporary inconvenience, especially for drivers and loading schedules. If the resurfacing and junction works stay on track after the scaffolding is removed, the longer-term effect should be improved traffic flow, safer walking and cycling routes, and a more finished road layout later in the year.
For transport users, the clearest short-term impact will be timetable and route adjustments, while the longer-term outcome depends on whether the final Counterslip phase is delivered within the revised schedule.
