As part of Bristol City Council’s £16 million rolling programme of repairs to bridges along the New Cut, one of the two road bridges that cross over Bathurst Basin on Commercial Road will close for up to two years from Monday 3 March 2025 for a full refurbishment.

The bridge is one in a series of eight harbour bridges the council is investing in to secure their long-term future.

Built in 1905, Bathurst Swing Bridge carries road traffic and pedestrians from Wapping Road and Cumberland Road to Commercial Road in the Harbourside area of Bristol. This historic bridge has metal sides and is now in a fixed position.

Restoration work will include:

• Removing the concrete decking and timber footpath.
• Covering the bridge and grit blasting the paint and corrosion off.
• Assessing the condition of the bridge and designing the tailored repairs. 
• Repairing the bridge’s structure using bespoke parts that need to be specially fabricated off-site.
• Repainting and weatherproofing the bridge.
• Adding a high friction road surface and road markings.  

The work is expected to take up to two years, but this will depend upon what condition the bridge is in, which is only possible to see once it has been closed and the decking removed.

Throughout the closure, road traffic and pedestrians will be directed across Commercial Road Bridge, which runs alongside Bathurst Swing Bridge. This will allow two-way traffic with the use of temporary traffic signals on Cumberland Road and Commercial Road. These signals will be responsive to traffic build ups and will be manually operated at peak times.

Following an inspection of the structure, we have moved the Bathurst Swing Bridge repairs to the top of the list of our New Cut bridges programme of work, as it is badly corroded and could become unsafe if we don’t act soon.

Luckily, we have enough contingency in the £16 million budget to add it to our New Cut bridges restoration programme.

It’s the first time in around 25 years that this historic bridge will have any major work done to it, and it is thanks to our focus on Bristol’s harbourside infrastructure that we have mobilised quickly to get the repairs booked in.

I would like to thank everyone again for their patience while we work to restore our city’s historic bridges and make sure these vital connections are safeguarded for the future. Thankfully, as it has a new bridge immediately alongside, we can minimise disruption.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee

The council will put up signage in the area and send out letters to local residents and businesses to advise them about the upcoming bridge closure and works.

The restoration of Bathurst Swing Bridge will cost in the region of £1.3 million, which is being funded by the UK Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.

Find out more about Bathurst Bridge and the New Cut bridges programme of repairs at bristol.gov.uk/newcutbridges.

Press release by Bristol City Council.