News / Vauxhall Bridge
Vauxhall Bridge to now remain closed for three years
Bomb damage from the Second World War is one of the reasons why the repairs to Vauxhall Bridge are now due to take three years rather than the estimated two years.
The 124-year-old footbridge over the New Cut has been found to be in a much worse state of repair than expected, with severely corroded metalwork and extensive structural damage.
Repairs will now need to be done in separate phases so as not to put too much pressure on the historic structure and weaken it while elements are being repaired or replaced.
is needed now More than ever
The £3m budget to repair Vauxhall Bridge is also now likely to increase, but the council say this will be covered by the contingency funding for the overall project to repair a number of bridges across the city, which has seen Gaol Ferry bridge already repaired and currently sees work progressing on Sparke Evans Park Bridge and the Banana Bridge.
Vauxhall Bridge has been closed since October 2023 – photo: Martin Booth
Ed Plowden, chair of the transport & connectivity committee, said that the news of the delay to the Vauxhall Bridge repairs “will come as a blow to all the residents and businesses in the area and everyone who uses Vauxhall Bridge”.
Plowden said: “It wasn’t until the decking and paint had been removed that we could fully see the level of damage and corrosion.
“It is really extensive and we are doing our utmost to save the bridge and restore it as quickly as we can.”
Green councillor Plowden added: “People may suggest removing the bridge and building a new one. However, to do so would be to destroy a Grade II listed structure that has historic value, and it would not speed up the project.
“It would add more years and cost more money as we would need to start from scratch to design and approve it via planning, raise millions of pounds to fund it and plan its build.
“Having considered it in the round, we feel that the best option is to continue with these works, albeit to a longer timescale than we foresaw or would have liked.”
Sparke Evans Park Bridge connects Sparke Evans Park to the Paintworks – photo: Martin Booth
Inspection of Sparke Evans Park Bridge has also shown it to be in a worse state than originally thought.
Its repairs are likely to take longer than the estimated two years, with damage found to both the cross beams and the suspension cables.
Plowden added: “The New Cut bridges programme is well underway but it can at times seem like the work is not progressing as fast as it could.
“All these bridges are coming to the end of their working design lives, so need extensive and often complex phased repairs to restore them.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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