News / Gaol Ferry Bridge
Gaol Ferry Bridge so fragile ‘it could have broken in next storm’
The former chair of the Bristol Labour Party has for the first time revealed the perilous state of Gaol Ferry Bridge before works to repair it began in August.
Eileen Means, previously a councillor for Brislington West and now Labour’s candidate for the Hotwells & Harbourside by-election, wrote about the state of the span in an opinion piece for Bristol24/7.
Opened in 1935, the bridge connects Wapping Wharf (in Central ward) to Coronation Road (in Southville ward).
is needed now More than ever
“In discussion with the relevant cabinet member, I discovered that Gaol Ferry Bridge was so fragile, it could have broken in the next storm,” Means wrote.
This paints a much bleaker picture about the bridge than has previously been reported.
Bristol City Council says that “due to the complexity of the project”, it could take between six and nine months from its closure date of August 22 2022 to carry out the repairs, which will cost “in the region of £1m”.
The repairs will address structural issues, including:
- replacing structural steelwork and rotten timbers
- repairing the steel lattice work and some stonework
- repainting the bridge
“The works will future-proof the structure and avoid escalating costs,” says the council website dedicated to the project.
Main photo: Miles Arnold
Candidates in the Hotwells & Harbourside by-election on February 2 are Eliana Barbosa of the Conservative Party, independent Martin Booth (also the Editor of Bristol24/7), the Green Party’s Patrick McAllister, Labour’s Eileen Means and the Liberal Democrats’ Stephen Williams
Read next:
- More than three-quarters of people don’t think Gaol Ferry Bridge will reopen within a year
- The gaol ferry that was here before Gaol Ferry Bridge
- Fears bridge closure will ‘devastate’ Wapping Wharf businesses
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
