Gaol Ferry Bridge: Further delay announced with structure in worse condition than first thought

Gaol Ferry Bridge will be closed for a full year before repair work is complete with the structure in worse condition than first thought.

The bridge is undergoing the first major repair in its 88-year history and its closure, in August 2022 and the latest setback means it will be closed for a full year before completion. In January, the authority believed the construction works to last for another ‘six to nine months’.

The work has disrupted the lives of residents and businesses in the area - including the popular Wapping Wharf district.

“Unfortunately it has become clear that the bridge is in a worse condition than we had thought,” announced, Councillor Don Alexander, Cabinet Member for Transport in a guest blog post on Mayor Marvin Rees’ website.

“After nearly a century, the steel work is especially degraded around the southern pier (tower). In some places, it has become paper thin. Without extensive repairs it could fail, as the pictures on this blog show. We cannot let that happen, and remain committed to restoring this ageing infrastructure.

“As we now expect the second northern pier to be in a similarly poor state, we have had to revisit the programme and may need to extend the works for an extra three months. This will mean the bridge would be temporarily closed for up to a year overall, provided no other structural issues are uncovered.

“I am sorry this is not better news. I know this will come as a blow to the thousands of people who use this popular foot and cycle bridge and to the nearby businesses, especially the traders at Wapping Wharf.”

The cost of the job was originally tallied at £1million but new estimates suggest it will cost £1.5million, though the council insists this amount is still within the original budget that had been set aside for the works.