City route not fully reopening until 2026

A key city route which has been partly closed for repair work is not expected to fully reopen until spring 2026.

Bristol City Council said high tides and heavy rain had made river bank erosion alongside York Road more severe and also delayed work.

Emergency work started in July 2024 to place more than 600 one-tonne bags on the bank of the New Cut river to prevent "imminent collapse" due to tidal pressures. It was initially expected to take 12 weeks.

Ed Plowden, chair of Bristol's Transport Committee, said it had no choice but to extend the work.

"The emergency repairs involves putting 600 one tonne bags of rocks into the water to support the wall and to reduce the impact of the tide," Mr Plowden said.

"Then we're going to move on to the piling works and actually rebuilding the walls and making them safe again.

"Were doing it in two sections because we want to keep St Luke's Road open which is vital for people."

The work was extended in October after the authority said it would carry out repairs to stabilise the river wall.

Mr Plowden said then October and November saw an "awful lot" of heavy rainfall which led to the tides being "1.5 metres (4.9ft) higher than normal and that's just not safe".

"To keep the project on track we've moved back to the Bedminster side of the bridge and we're doing the permanent works and not the temporary works," he added.

The key route linking Temple Meads with Bedminster will be partly closed until next spring.

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