News / Transport
‘Urgent investment’ needed to stop bridges falling into disrepair
Bristol’s bridges continue to be “volatile” according to the city council’s head of highways.
Shaun Taylor was speaking as councillors approved a further £2m of funding to the ongoing works to restore bridges over the New Cut.
And the council will also be putting in a bid to the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund that if successful will see £85m secured to repair ageing infrastructure including Avon Fixed Bridge and the New Cut walls.
is needed now More than ever
Other structures were considered for a share of a record £1bn of DfT money including St Philip’s Causeway, which needs “significant funding” according to Taylor.
But Taylor added: “St Philip’s Causeway, while it needs investment, isn’t in imminent collapse and that was part of the criteria from the DfT.
“That’s not to say that the Avon Fixed Bridge is in imminent collapse but it’s certainly, if we don’t invest very soon, we will be having to put restrictions on it and so on because of its condition, so this is a really good opportunity.”
On the same evening that Taylor was addressing the transport & connectivity committee, potholes were being fixed along the Portway ahead of the cycling leg of the Bristol Triathlon taking place on the road on Sunday.
A report to the committee said: “Many of our structural assets require urgent investment to stop them falling into a state of disrepair that requires more expensive remediation, while at the same time causing delays and disruption within Bristol and across the wider sub-region.
“Recent analysis of the impact of managing the decline of our assets to the point of closure estimates an economic cost of between £5-10 billion by 2040 and 100,000 daily trips at risk of disruption.”
The estimated cost of repairs to Vauxhall Bridge has risen from £2m to £5.7m – photo: Martin Booth
Speaking at the committee meeting on Thursday evening, Labour councillor Kaz Self said: “I love the variety of our bridges and I respect them as the connectivity in the transport & connectivity committee.”
But Self was concerned about “mission creep” and insufficient funds allocated to repair Bristol’s famous spans, as well as how good council officers are at setting realistic budgets.
In response to Self’s questions, Taylor called Bristol’s ageing bridges “challenging”.
Taylor said: “Until you strip a bridge back, you don’t actually know what you’re going to come across.”
He pointed Self to a committee report which shows that the estimated cost of the repairs to Vauxhall Bridge over the New Cut has risen from £2m to £5.7m
“Yes, I appreciate it’s an extra budget ask and I understand those concerns,” Taylor said, adding that 80 per cent of Vauxhall Bridge is being replaced.
Another option for the council would have been to demolish the bridge and build a new one which could have cost up to £30m.
“We’ve actually managed to save the bridge,” said Taylor.
“Quite an iconic bridge shall we say. For £5.7m. Whilst I appreciate where you’re coming from, the team have actually managed to make very good value out of that.”
Chair of of the transport committee, Ed Plowden, called the repair work to Vauxhall Bridge “an informed risk”.
Self added: “As an engineer, I love the work you’re doing on the bridges and I really do appreciate seeing them finished and half-completed as well.
“My point was really about just maybe looking back in the past, maybe sort of lessons learned, so that when you come to budgeting in the future, you can kind of dial that in.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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