Brislington Bridge faces six-month reopening delay

In an extraordinary snub to Brislington residents, the Labour Mayor for the West of England has refused to fund an access ramp for the newly refurbished Sparke Evans Bridge, a vital active travel link for many residents in Brislington.

Without a new access ramp, the bridge would be left inaccessible to those with disabilities and parents with pushchairs, and would even pose a challenge to cyclists looking to cross the river.

Brislington West’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have been pushing for the funding for this last crucial part to be put in place, and the bridge opened for once and for all.

Cllr Jos Clark (Liberal Democrat, Brislington West) said:

 “The old access ramp was too steep and didn’t meet current standards, and so needed to be replaced. 

“Unfortunately, the previous Bristol Labour administration forgot to include the ramp in the scope of the original restoration project!

“This mishap has led to a six-month delay, leaving Brislington without its vital river crossing.” 

Cllr Andrew Varney (Liberal Democrat, Brislington West) added:

“When this mistake was discovered, we immediately wrote to the Mayor requesting additional funding to complete the project. However, our emails were ignored and no more money was forthcoming.

“This has forced a redesign of the ramp to reduce costs, and the opening date has been pushed back to March this year.

“With the bridge originally due to reopen in October 2025, we hope that residents will finally be able to use the bridge once again soon.”