'Too early to commit’ to timescales on how long repairing Pero’s Bridge will take
The Bristol Harbourside footbridge failed during a test lift back in August, and council bosses say it's too early to commit to when the first repairs will finish
Council bosses have refused to confirm an initial estimate of next March for how long repairs will last on Pero’s Bridge. Due to the complex nature of fixing bridges, they told councillors that it was too early to commit to a timescale on when repairs would finish on the city centre footbridge.
The Harbourside bridge broke down last month during a test lift and will likely be closed for several more months. High temperatures that day have been ruled out as a cause for the bridge’s mechanical failure. Investigations are focusing on its hydraulic lifting system.
Bristol City Council staff are now planning to get contractors to remove the bridge spans and repair them. This was initially scheduled for November, but is now expected to happen sooner. An update was given to the councillors on the harbour committee on Tuesday, September 15.
David Lockwood, the harbourmaster, said: “We are still at an early stage. We’re only still in the commercial and legal discussion with the contracts for the removal of the spans. We certainly aim to keep on budget, that’s our job, and we aim to keep it on time. But once the project is under way, we’ll be able to give an update on both.”
Patsy Mellor, director of management of place, added: “It’s far too early to commit, because as we all know that once you open a bridge and get underneath it, sometimes you have more to deal with than you originally planned.”
Back in March the harbour committee approved planned maintenance work on Pero’s Bridge, scheduled for this autumn, at a cost of £1.35 million. Then on August 13, the bridge was lifted open as a test, but this failed leaving the middle section standing at a wonky angle. Wooden hoarding was recently installed on the bridge, as well as scaffolding.
The bridge had long suffered from people attaching “love locks” to its railings. These padlocks made the bridge much heavier, straining its mechanisms, until they were removed last year. Inspectors found major structural issues in July last year, which led to a no-lift notice and a ban on police horses crossing over the bridge.
Pero’s Bridge was opened in 1999 and links Queen Square and Millennium Square. The bridge comprises three spans. The outer two are fixed and the central section can be raised to allow tall boats to pass through. The problem of love locks, which couples attach to a bridge as a sign of their commitment to each other, has affected bridges in many other cities across the world.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Brown, chair of the harbour committee, said: “Aside from dealing with the failure event, which is unfortunate, this is planned work. Although there might be unexpected things that we find when we take it off, to some extent it’s planned work rather than emergency work. So hopefully we’ll be able to do it in the original window.
“While we had already budgeted for a significant amount of investment in repairing and refurbishing the structure, there will be some additional costs associated with the fact that there has been that incident and we’ve got to deal with that. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Ferry passengers wishing to board at the city centre stop by the Cascade Steps, near the Watershed, are being directed to use an alternative ferry landing by Prince Street Bridge instead, next to the Arnolfini. Work to remove the bridge is anticipated to start by the end of September.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Brown said: “This will restore access for boats along St Augustine’s reach and allow ferry operators to resume their services to the cascade steps. The planned programme of renovation and improvement works which was already scheduled for the bridge can then begin. The additional repairs required will be completed as part of these works.
“We understand that the closure of Pero’s Bridge is an inconvenience for people visiting and travelling through the area and that some local businesses are affected. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we take the necessary steps to progress the works needed. When we return the bridge to service, which is planned for spring 2027, it will be fully refurbished with significant upgrades made to how it operates, improving the bridges’ reliability and functionality.”