Key route for traffic through Bristol city centre to close next week

A key route for traffic through Bristol city centre will close next week.

Redcliffe Bascule Bridge, near St Mary Redcliffe Church, will close to all traffic and pedestrians between 9.30am and 3.30pm from Monday February 19 to Friday February 23.

The bridge’s lifting mechanism will be tested during the closure and harbour staff will be trained to use the new controls so they can lift the bridge safely when needed.

The five-day closure forms part of the last phase of the £3m refurbishment of Bascule Bridge, which is one in a series to safeguard Bristol’s harbour infrastructure.

The work includes a rolling £16m programme to restore six New Cut bridges; an investment of around £3m into the sluice infrastructure, which controls water levels within the harbour to prevent flooding; and an investment of £12m to stabilise river walls most at risk along the New Cut over the next five years.

During the time Bascule Bridge is closed next week, motorists will be allowed to use Bristol Bridge without incurring fines during the daily closures as long as they use the official diversion route which will be signposted.