Twin Sails to open in December
The bridge has been shut after creaking noises were heard
The Twin Sails Bridge in Poole is set to reopen in December, nearly four months after it closed, due to ‘abnormal creaking noises’.
The bridge, which opened in 2012, connects Poole with Hamworthy and has faced repeated reliability issues since its launch.
On August 26, the structure was placed into an upright position after engineers inspected the lifting mechanisms.
This was not the first time the crossing had been forced to close. In May last year, the bridge remained out of action for almost three months after another fault was identified during scheduled checks.
Earlier this year, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole councillors approved £6 million of funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy to deliver a long-term solution.
The investment will focus on improving the lifting mechanism and addressing the recurring reliability problems that have disrupted journeys for residents and businesses.
In October, BCP Council confirmed that preparatory work was underway while engineers awaited specialist materials needed for repairs to arrive.
Repair works are expected to start on December 15 and last for a week.
Hamworthy Councillor Peter Cooper shared a message saying that Twin Sails should be open on December 21 with critical site tests being carried out to make sure everything is functioning as expected.
The messages also said if the bridge passes site tests it will be open to all traffic the week of December 22.
Glynn Barton, Chief Operations Officer at BCP Council, said: “Work is due to commence on Twin Sails on 15 December and is anticipated to take around a week, subject to safety testing.
“Our teams have been carrying out as much preparatory work as possible whilst awaiting for the specialist materials required to arrive in early December.
“At their busiest, Twin Sails and Poole Bridge lift around 6,000 times each year and support more than 20,000 daily journeys.
“That’s precisely why, earlier this year, we announced £6million of funding for improvements to both Twin Sails and Poole bridge – as well as the VMS signage system.
“I know how important it is that we get this right for residents: and our team is fully committed to doing just that.”