News / Hotwells
Extensive repairs needed for ageing bridge to avoid ‘catastrophic failure’
Extensive repairs are planned for a 60-year old bridge which could eventually be replaced by a new one.
The Brunel Way flyover is in bad condition and engineers are planning a full inspection before drawing up detailed repairs to keep the bridge open and safe in the short term.
The Avon Fixed Bridge carries the A3029 Brunel Way over the River Avon on the western end of the harbour, near Cumberland Basin.
is needed now More than ever
Temporary repairs are planned to keep the road open, but the bridge will eventually get replaced as part of the Western Harbour regeneration.
The 60-year old bridge is in such a poor state it may eventually be replaced by a new one – photo: Betty Woolerton
Bristol City Council’s transport policy committee is expected to approve spending £500,000 on assessing the current structural capacity of the bridge and then work out designs for temporary repairs on Thursday. This should keep the bridge safe in the immediate future.
The report said: “The bridge deck half-joints were found to be in a poor structural condition and will ultimately limit the working life of the bridge, with the structure eventually requiring replacement.
“The original defective drainage design and subsequent ongoing urgent maintenance remain an issue.”
In late 2024, engineers carried out a principal inspection of the bridge. Now they are planning a full structural assessment, to understand how much weight the bridge can carry.
The bridge is a key part of the city’s road network, linking the north and south sides of Bristol over the Avon.
The inspection will check for corrosion and cracks, and the repairs will fix damaged concrete and defective drainage.
A common problem for concrete bridges is the gradual erosion from rainwater. Rain seeps into the structure, and corrodes the steel and causes concrete to crack. The drainage designs in this bridge are no longer allowed when building new bridges.
Without these repairs, if engineers did nothing then the bridge would “deteriorate exponentially”, eventually getting closed in part or in full, “before ultimate catastrophic failure”.
Replacing the bridge immediately is “not a financially viable option” at the moment, and a future replacement will be partly funded by building hundreds of flats in the Western Harbour regeneration project.
This project will see the confusing and convoluted road network in the area simplified, with some of the smaller connecting roads removed and the land instead used for housing.
It’s unclear when the temporary repairs would take place, and when the bridge will be replaced.
The main problem with the bridge are the “half joints”. This is where two parts of the concrete deck connect, but inspecting and maintaining them is very difficult.
The bridge was built around 1963, when this sort of construction was still allowed.
Blocked drains and other issues with the drainage mean that water is collecting on the bridge and seeping through the structure.
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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