Residents celebrate as Bath's Cleveland Bridge reopens to traffic
Restrictions had been in place on the important route through the city for almost exactly 17 months
Last updated 3rd Oct 2022
Cleveland Bridge in Bath has finally reopened to traffic, almost exactly 17 months after repair work on the structure first began.
Maintenance work first started on the Grade II listed bridge on 4 May 2021, to ensure the 200 year old structure remains safe.
The work was originally expected to take much less time, but unexpected corrosion discovered on the bridge in March of this year meant reopening was delayed.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “As ever, our prime motivation in doing these works on the historic bridge is to ensure that safety comes first.
"I am pleased to see that it is now possible to open to two-way traffic with an 18 tonne weight limit, the traffic signals were removed on Sunday evening, and monitoring and enforcement equipment has been fitted."
The 18-tonne temporary load limit has been set "to provide ongoing confidence that the bridge remains safe", Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council says in a statement.
It will be monitored by number plate recognition ANPR cameras to capture the details of any vehicles that break the limit, but if monitoring shows there are no issues the bridge could technically and safely open to normal traffic loads of 44 tonnes, the council says.
"Drivers that do flout the restriction are being warned that they could face prosecution brought by Trading Standards or the Police or via a Fixed Penalty Notice," councillor Rigby said.
"It is a criminal offence to contravene a traffic regulation order.
“Anyone using the bridge will still see some final masonry works going on now the scaffold has been taken down as part of its refurbishment and I really want to thank businesses and residents living on and near Cleveland Bridge for their patience during this complex refurbishment of a 200-year-old structure.”
Bath residents and opponents of BANES Council's Liberal Democrat leadership have been celebrating the reopening online.
One person has called it a "miracle", while some held an impromptu reopening ceremony on Sunday night.
The works had caused widespread disruption.
Organisers of the Bath Half Marathon postponed the race twice this year, both times citing work on the bridge as one of the reasons.
The race is now due to happen in two weeks time, on Sunday, October 16.