Region: Bristol

Work will get underway from Saturday 1 November 2025 to strengthen a section of New Cut river wall next to Cumberland Road, opposite the entrance to the Old City Gaol, between Gaol Ferry Bridge and Bathurst Swing Bridge. 

The essential repairs, which are expected to take up to a year, will include:

• laying concrete and rock foundations on the riverbed 
• fixing and anchoring the wall
• covering the wall with mesh to hold it in place

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “This work is crucial to stop the river wall from collapsing. It will help protect the New Cut and the road next to it. By acting now, we’re making sure this part of the city stays safe and open for everyone, while also protecting Bristol’s heritage.”

Part of Cumberland Road will need to close one-way heading towards Gaol Ferry Bridge. Two-way traffic will be maintained using temporary traffic lights that will be on the council’s Scoot system. This monitors traffic conditions and automatically adjusts the timings of traffic lights to reduce delays and congestion.

The Wapping Wharf bus stop on Cumberland Road will be closed from 9am on 1 November for around a year. A temporary bus stop will be set up nearby on Commercial Road.

The repairs are expected to cost £3.2 million, funded by the council’s capital budget. This is part of a larger multi-million-pound programme to restore high risk river walls along the New Cut of the River Avon.

Stay up to date at www.bristol.gov.uk/newcutriverwalls.

Original press release by Bristol City Council