Urgent repairs are taking place at a bridge in the city centre so it can swing open for boats again.
Bristol City Council said the Prince Street Bridge in the city centre needs expert investigation as the mechanism that lifts the swing bridge has failed to function correctly. The Grade II listed iron swing bridge is expected to remain open to pedestrians, cyclists and other traffic while the investigation and any work takes place, the council said, adding that mariners have been made aware of the issue.
The council said the work started today (May 20) to remove the press for full inspection, which is expected to take two weeks. A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “We urgently need to repair a mechanism that allows Prince Street Bridge to swing open so our boating community can use this waterway.
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"With a listed bridge such as this, we need expert engineers to assess the heritage mechanisms and carry out these essential repairs.”
Prince Street Bridge is a Grade II listed iron swing bridge built in 1879 that crosses Bristol Harbour, linking Bristol city centre and Spike Island. The council said that in 2017 the bridge structure was refurbished, due to its poor structural condition, but these works did not include the operational system.
"We will update mariners and the public as soon as we know more details," added the council.
