Bristol's Gaol Ferry Bridge to reopen after refurb costing £1.5 million
The refurbishment has taken more than 12 months to complete
Work to repair a near-century old footbridge is nearing completion.
Back in August 2022, the Gaol Ferry Bridge was shut to the public for essential maintenance works, and what followed came as a surprise - even to the engineers working on it.
That's because of the poor condition of the structure, which was worse than had been anticipated.
Gaol Ferry Bridge - Before the Repairs
Councillor Don Alexander, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I am delighted that we will be reopening Gaol Ferry Bridge in a month’s time on 8 September.
“I know everyone who uses this popular foot and cycle bridge will be pleased to have a date when they will be able to start using it again. Thank you again to local residents and businesses for their patience as Griffiths, our contractor, completed the first major repair programme in the bridge’s almost 100-year history.
“It’s been a challenging project as the bridge was in an even worse condition than anticipated, with paper-thin steelwork in some places. You can read more about the restoration project in a blog I posted earlier this year. On top of the extended repairs required, the scaffolding plan had to be redesigned so as not to risk putting too much weight on the old, lightweight bridge.”
The essential work have cost Bristol City Council £1.5 million - and have included replacing structural steelwork, repairing steel lattice work, some stonework, and repainting it too.
Engineers were also asked to work on Saturdays, too, in a bid to make sure the repair works stayed on-track.
Throughout August, the team from Griffiths will be completing the final stages of the repair works.
These final touches include the last part of the steel repairs, a repainting of the final sections of the bridge, the installation of a modern decking system, and finally the dismantling of the extensive scaffolding.
After these works have been completed, the bridge will then ben reopened - and it will be safe to cross.
The pedestrian crossing next to Gaol Ferry Bridge on Cumberland Road by Wapping Wharf and Gaol Ferry Steps will also be refurbished ahead of the bridge reopening.
Signage will also be installed at Gaol Ferry Bridge, and at Vauxhall and Bedminster bridges, which are along the diversion routes, to remind people of the date that the bridge will reopen.
These £1.5 million works are actually a part of a wider rolling programme of repairs to be carried out by Bristol City Council.
Gaol Ferry Bridge is the first of six bridges to be restored in their £16 million rolling programme.
The bridges include Sparke Evans Park Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Langton Street Bridge (also known as Banana Bridge) and the twin bridges of Bedminster Bridge and Bath Bridge.
Councillor Don Alexander continued: “Over the years, Gaol Ferry Bridge, along with many other bridges and structures in Bristol, have been neglected. Having inherited a legacy of underinvestment, I am proud we have put together a multi-million pound investment programme to make sure Bristol’s bridges are safe for future generations.”
The programme of repairs is being funded by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, administered by the West of England Combined Authority.
A £1 million restoration of Kingsweston Lane Bridge, which links Blaise Castle Estate to Kingsweston Fields, will also take place using money from the Highway Infrastructure Bridge Investments fund, with repairs due to be completed by December 2024.
Gaol Ferry Bridge will reopen at 5pm on Friday 8 September.