News / Transport
Prince Street Bridge costs hit ?1.2 million
Repairs to Prince Street Bridge will cost £1.2 million – more than double initially estimated when it was closed to traffic last summer due to corrosion.
The council planned to close the 1879 swing bridge for six months for emergency repairs which were estimated to cost £400,000. But the date was pushed back twice due to the “extensive damage” to the original iron works.
Now a report has gone to George Ferguson’s cabinet asking for £1.2 million to complete the works by autumn 2016.
Questions had been raised over whether the bridge would ever open again, after Ferguson said he could not guarantee it would.
The closure has been blamed for major congestion in the city centre in recent months – made worse by the construction of the MetroBus route.
Simon Cook, one of Ferguson’s cabinet members, said: “We recognise the difficulties its closure has caused but this work is designed to safeguard the resilience of our highways and keep traffic moving smoothly through the city centre.”
He added: “The city centre is undergoing a period of considerable change which in the long-term will help establish an efficient and reliable public transport service.
“In the meantime, fewer cars on the road will make it easier for everyone to get around so we would encourage people to use our Park and Ride or other bus services where possible, in addition to walking and cycling.”
The bridge was closed temporarily in the summer after it jammed open during a heatwave.
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