Emergency road closure following fears Bristol river wall could collapse at Langton Street Bridge

Emergency work has started to repair a river wall at risk of collapsing in Bristol.

Part of York Road between St Luke's Road and Bath Bridges roundabout shut on Monday 8 July, to make way for repairs to a 120 metre stretch of masonry wall either side of the historic Langton Street Bridge, also known as Banana Bridge.

Electronic sensors picked up on the movement of the wall, and Bristol City Council said it could have failed, if urgent action was not taken to repair it.

The emergency works are expected to take around twelve weeks and include placing one-tonne bags along the bank of the river to reduce tidal pressure.

The work is part of the council’s ongoing multi-million pound programme to stabilise the most at-risk river walls along the New Cut of the River Avon.

Bristol City Council said: "Due to the size of the lifting equipment needed to carry out the emergency works, part of York Road will need to close for up to twelve weeks from Monday 8 July.

"To maintain as much access as possible, the work will be carried out in two phases. For the first phase, York Road will be closed between St Luke’s Road towards Bath Bridges roundabout for six weeks.

"For the second phase, York Road will be closed between St Luke’s Road and Spring Street for six weeks.

"The diversionary routes will be signposted, but the council is asking people to consider their journeys through this area and to make decisions further ahead and avoid the surrounding streets.

"Access for York Road residents will be maintained at all times and the closure will not impact the businesses near to the Bath Bridge roundabout. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will also be maintained.

"To gain access to the embankment for the emergency repairs, unfortunately four London planes trees will need to be felled or pruned back under the guidance of ecologists.

"Any trees lost will be replaced with new trees as part of the long-term permanent repairs."

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “These works are vital to stabilise the river wall. If left any longer, there is a risk that this section could fail, leading to severe consequences.

"We’ve already seen a very serious collapse like this on Cumberland Rd, which increased the remediation costs and the time needed to complete repairs.

“Safety must come first, but, while I’m pleased the emergency repairs will be starting soon, the temporary closure of part of York Road will undoubtedly cause disruption in the area and it’s always a last resort to remove any trees. I have asked the team to make every effort to work around the valuable street trees.

“I would like to thank everyone ahead of time for their understanding while we carry out these important works to safeguard the future of Bristol’s harbourside assets.”