Poole’s Twin Sails Bridge to reopen before Christmas after nearly four months of closure
Poole’s Twin Sails Bridge is set to reopen in December, nearly four months after it shut it due to unusual creaking noises
Poole’s troubled Twin Sails Bridge is finally set to reopen later this month, nearly four months after it was abruptly closed when engineers detected “abnormal creaking noises” during a routine inspection.
The closure has caused major disruption for residents and businesses on both sides of Holes Bay.
This is just the latest incident in a long line of reliability issues that has plagued the landmark structure since it opened in 2012.
It was also closed to all road users for a prolonged period in 2023, when the structure was out of action for almost three months while faults were investigated.
The bridge, which links Poole town centre with Hamworthy, handles around 20,000 daily journeys and lifts more than 5,000 times a year to allow passage for up to 18,000 vessels.
But since August, traffic has been funnelled entirely through the neighbouring Poole Bridge, creating traffic jams and increasing journey times for commuters.
Earlier this year, BCP councillors approved £6m of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to address the bridge’s longstanding mechanical problems.
The investment will focus on future-proofing the lifting mechanism and improving resilience across both Twin Sails and Poole Bridge, as well as upgrading the signage system used to direct traffic.
Preliminary works have been underway since autumn while specialist materials were sourced.
BCP Council confirmed that repair works are due to begin on December 15th and are expected to take around a week, subject to rigorous safety testing.
Hamworthy councillor Peter Cooper said the bridge is expected to reopen on 21st of December, with full access for all traffic anticipated the following week if final site tests are successful.
Glynn Barton, BCP Council’s chief operations officer, said: “I know how important it is that we get this right for residents and our team is fully committed to doing just that.”
For Poole residents weary of diversions and delays, the reopening will come as a welcome early Christmas present.
Whether the works finally bring an end to the bridge’s persistent technical woes, however, is a question many will be watching closely.