BAM Nuttall has completed work on the foundations for the new eastern entrance at Bristol Temple Meads station.

Work on the first part of the £20 million West of England Combined Authority-funded project took place simultaneously with the upgrade to Bristol East Junction, utilising the time to complete the work while train services weren’t running and avoiding further disruption to passengers.

BAM Nuttall installed 18 concrete piles to a depth of over 20 metres into the ground under platform 15 to support the new structure. A 750-tonne crane was used to lift pre-cast concrete units into place to create a bridge that allowed for the track to be re-laid on top and trains to pass overhead again.

The new eastern entrance is being built at the far end of the existing passenger subway and once complete, will improve access to Bristol Temple Meads allowing a higher volume of passengers to enter and exit the station to the east of the city via the development site on Cattle Market Road, which is where the University of Bristol’s planned Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus will be located.

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The development of the eastern entrance and wider improvements at Bristol Temple Meads will also support Bristol City Council’s regeneration plans for the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone by ensuring Bristol Temple Meads station becomes a key transport hub, making it easier for passengers to get around the city and improving connectivity in the West of England region.

The second part of this work is due to start this autumn and includes plans to install a new ticket gate and a small entry building which is currently being designed.

The work is all part of the wider Bristol Rail Regeneration programme that will see a number of improvements to the iconic Bristol Temple Meads station over the next three years, representing a major investment in sustainable transport in the region and creating a major transport hub that will serve millions of passengers each year and support business right across the region.

Dan Norris, West of England Metro Mayor, said: "If we are to meet our ambitious 2030 net zero target we need our public transport network to be much better than it is. Getting people on to trains is a key goal. We are proposing £350m for transport over the next 20 years. These are significant changes which will take many years to complete, but the wheels are being set in motion."