Project objectives, the programme so far, upcoming and ongoing works.
Our New Cut river wall stabilisation project is an £11.9 million initiative aimed at securing and reinforcing high risk river walls along the New Cut of the River Avon.
The project is a critical step in addressing safety concerns around erosion and instability along the riverbank, to safeguard Bristol harbourside communities and infrastructure into the future.
It's one of a number of key harbourside infrastructure projects that include restoring six New Cut bridges over five years.
Project objectives
- Stabilise and reinforce high risk retaining river walls long the Floating Harbour and New Cut.
- Mitigate the potential consequences of river wall failures, including loss of life, flooding, property damage, and traffic disruption.
- Implement a five-year stabilisation programme to address immediate risks and ensure long-term resilience.
Programme so far
Work started in March 2024 and has included:
- repairing the river wall on the southwest corner of Bedminster Bridge where the roundabout joins Coronation Road
- investigatory works to the river wall alongside Cumberland Road, 90 metres from Gaol Ferry Bridge
- investigatory works to the natural rock faces along the riverbank near Gaol Ferry Bridge
- emergency works to place one-tonne bags on the bank either side of Langton Street Bridge (Banana Bridge) to reduce the tidal pressure on the wall until long-term repairs can be carried out
York Road stabilisation: permanent works
In July 2024 we started emergency repairs to stabilise the river wall either side of Langton Street Bridge (Banana Bridge), which included work to place 600 one-tonne bags on the river bank.
High rainfall in September and October, which caused high tides, has delayed finishing off these works.
To keep the project on track, we are pausing the emergency works and are starting with the long-term, permanent repairs from 9 December 2024.
We can only do these repairs to the section of river wall where we have completed the emergency works.
This means we need to switch around the partial road closure, and from 9 December York Road will be closed between St Luke's Road and Spring Street.
The permanent repairs include:
- installing a sheet-piled retaining wall at the top of the bank to stabilise York Road
- building a concrete piled wall behind the existing river wall
- planting trees and vegetation along the stabilised embankment
Motorcycles
Motorcycles must use the on-road diversion. There are signs on the road to reinforce this and we have put barriers in place to prevent people from driving on the pavements and have raised the issue with the police.
Timings
The work site and road closure will move to between St Luke's and Spring Street from 9 December 2024.
Once these works are complete the work site and road closure will move to between St Luke's Road towards the Bath Bridges roundabout. This is so the remaining emergency repairs can be carried out and the permanent works started.
We expect the permanent repairs and the remainder of the emergency works to be completed in the spring of 2025.
This will lead onto the second stage of the project, which will see York Road reopen to traffic but with one side of the road remaining closed. Temporary traffic lights will be used so road traffic can travel in both directions.
The second stage of permanent repairs should take up to one year to complete, depending on factors such as bad weather and unexpected ground conditions
Thank you
We understand how inconvenient the road closure is. Thank you for your patience so far. We are asking you to bear with us again as we start on the permanent repairs that will safeguard York Road and the river wall for future generations.
Vegetation clearance
We need to remove vegetation, including plants, grass and weeds, from both sides of the New Cut river walls so we can assess any structural damage and plan in the repairs.
Under the guidance of ecologists, this work will start on Cumberland Road from the Create Centre and move along the New Cut towards Bathurst Bridge. It will then cross to other side of the river to Coronation Road, starting from the Texaco Garage and going towards Bedminster Bridges.
The vegetation clearance will start on 28 October 2024 and is expected to take around three months to complete. It will mean sections of pavement will need to be closed temporarily, but it should not impact the roads.
Ongoing works and wider programme
- Inspection of natural rock faces near Gaol Ferry Bridge.
- Minor repairs on various sections of river walls along the New Cut as required.
- Repairing Underfall Sluice footbridge, further investigations, ecological assessments, and vegetation clearance at additional river wall sites.
Key features
- Any vegetation clearance will be supervised by ecologists to ensure minimal environmental impact during works.
- Griffiths, the council's contractor, is carrying out the works.