Busy harbour bridge could be closed to cars

A busy bridge over Bristol harbour could be closed to cars as part of wider changes to the area.

If approved, Prince Street Bridge, near the M Shed and Arnolfini, would only be used by pedestrians and cyclists.

The planned closure forms part of the long term Harbour Place Shaping strategy, which also includes a new water sports centre and ferry.

Councillor Toby Wells, who supports the proposed closure, said: "Prince Street Bridge carries far more pedestrians and cyclists than it does people in private motor vehicles, but they're squeezed into a much smaller space."

During an update on the plans given to councillors on Monday, members were split over whether the closure would be a good idea, with warnings of congestion elsewhere in the city.

Councillor Mark Weston said: "I really don't think we should close Prince Street Bridge to traffic. There are only so many bridges across the river.

"Once you start knocking out one bridge or a second bridge, any time there's a major traffic problem anywhere in the city, the traffic will flow like water. The less places it can flow, the less resilience in our system."

The bridge was partially closed to traffic a few years ago, and now cars can only drive across southbound.

Since then, council data suggests a 146% increase in active travel users, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Harbour Place Shaping strategy is expected to take two decades to transform the waterside space throughout the city centre.

Any final decision on closing the bridge would be taken by the transport policy committee, after traffic modelling and public consultation.

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