:00:13. > :00:17.The brand new South Bristol link road had a test dry today -
:00:18. > :00:19.hundreds of cyclists became the first to use the route
:00:20. > :00:26.The ?45 million road will also form part of the route
:00:27. > :00:29.for the city's new metrobus in a scheme designed
:00:30. > :00:35.It's not every day that cyclists are offered the chance to ride
:00:36. > :00:43.And so hundreds turned out today to ride the five kilometres
:00:44. > :00:46.Many of these cyclists live locally and think the new road
:00:47. > :00:49.will help to ease the amount of traffic on certain roads.
:00:50. > :00:53.I guess it'll take a lot of pressure off of Winterstoke Road.
:00:54. > :00:57.And I do a lot of cycling myself so, yeah, it'll be great when it's open.
:00:58. > :01:02.And it was really smooth and easy to cycle on.
:01:03. > :01:04.I think it's going to make a massive difference around
:01:05. > :01:09.the Parson Street area, where we are, in Bedminster,
:01:10. > :01:11.it'll really relieve the traffic going through there, yeah.
:01:12. > :01:14.The majority of those here today were positive
:01:15. > :01:20.But the Green Party has opposed the plans right from the start,
:01:21. > :01:23.and say building new roads will never help cut traffic.
:01:24. > :01:27.At the moment, some of the plans that are coming forward,
:01:28. > :01:29.only seem to be moving the air quality issues that currently tend
:01:30. > :01:33.to be concentrated in the centre of the city and moving them out
:01:34. > :01:35.to the fringes, in areas like Hartcliffe and Whitchurch.
:01:36. > :01:40.But, in rush hour, parts of South Bristol
:01:41. > :01:46.For a business here which employs 1500 people, the feeling
:01:47. > :01:48.is that this road can only be a good thing.
:01:49. > :01:51.Really, the congestion in Bristol has made it very Really,
:01:52. > :01:55.the congestion in Bristol has made it very difficult for them.
:01:56. > :01:58.The new road will definitely improve their travel times.
:01:59. > :02:01.It will improve the air quality in the area, I'm sure.
:02:02. > :02:03.And generally, for the residents, it will reduce the amount
:02:04. > :02:08.In the New Year, this new road will open to cars.
:02:09. > :02:12.After that, part of it will be used by the Metrobus.
:02:13. > :02:14.And if it helps to get South Bristol moving then it
:02:15. > :02:23.won't just be these Santas who are the only happy customers.
:02:24. > :02:25.Thousands of Christmas shoppers at the Mall Cribbs Causeway
:02:26. > :02:28.were directed to leave the building this afternoon as the shopping
:02:29. > :02:30.centre was evacuated just before closing time -
:02:31. > :02:32.A small fire had broken out in a storeroom -
:02:33. > :02:35.by the time fire crews arrived the flames had been extinguished -
:02:36. > :02:38.The Mall confirms shops will be open as usual tomorrow.
:02:39. > :02:40.Knitters from a church in South Gloucestershire have
:02:41. > :02:43.created their own Christmas tree - which they plan to turn
:02:44. > :02:45.into blankets for the homeless in the new year.
:02:46. > :02:47.Over 800 woolly green squares have been knitted or crocheted
:02:48. > :02:51.and stacked into a six foot tall tree by the St Michael's Yarn
:02:52. > :02:55.In January the tree will be sewn into blankets for two
:02:56. > :03:00.We wanted to do something that could involve as many people
:03:01. > :03:03.in the community as possible, so we could celebrate
:03:04. > :03:09.It was always in our plans to do something that we could give
:03:10. > :03:12.to other people, so the plans to make the blankets were always
:03:13. > :03:23.Finally a special moment of recognition tonight
:03:24. > :03:26.for Ben Smith from Portishead - the inspirational long-distance
:03:27. > :03:29.runner was honoured with a special Sports Personality of the Year award
:03:30. > :03:33.- for running four hundred and one marathons in as many days,
:03:34. > :03:36.raising more than a quarter of a million pounds for two
:03:37. > :03:38.anti-bulling charities, and giving hope to young victims
:03:39. > :03:41.An emotional night for a man who says running -
:03:42. > :03:45.turned his life around and has inspired many others.
:03:46. > :03:54.I want to say thank you to the tens of thousands who supported this. My
:03:55. > :04:00.life was very very different four years ago. I found running was my
:04:01. > :04:05.sanctuary, my way of expressing myself and be who I was, running
:04:06. > :04:07.gave me my confidence back and self-esteem. But most importantly I
:04:08. > :04:18.am not afraid any more. Thank you. Time for the late forecast. We
:04:19. > :04:23.continue to see problems with mist and fog as it really thickens. Some
:04:24. > :04:29.could be dense tonight and the Met office has a fog warning. Take care
:04:30. > :04:34.on the roads, it will keep most of us frost free but some clear spells
:04:35. > :04:39.and then maybe a patch but these are low temperatures, a shower or two
:04:40. > :04:44.but mostly dry. Poor visibility tomorrow morning, thick fog, it will
:04:45. > :04:49.gradually lift but a slow process. Bright spells but mostly pretty
:04:50. > :04:54.cloudy for tomorrow. Temperatures struggling at seven or 8 degrees. A
:04:55. > :04:59.murky start, that rain and drizzle and unsettled by midweek. That is
:05:00. > :05:08.it. We are back in breakfast news tomorrow. Good night.
:05:09. > :05:13.Good evening. It's a big week for pre-Christmas travel plans and the
:05:14. > :05:16.weather can be quite challenging at times, too. We start the week with
:05:17. > :05:18.the issue of fog once again.