Pero's Bridge collapse triggers inquiry as repair timeline extends to April

The middle section of Pero's Bridge fell into the harbour water on Halloween night, extending the closure of the pedestrian route. Bristol City Council officials now project that the bridge will reopen in April, nine months after the structure was first barricaded. A crane is scheduled to arrive from Cornwall to remove the bridge and transport it to a nearby dry dock for repairs.

The current incident followed an earlier failure in August. Engineers attempted to lift the footbridge in preparation for standard repairs, but the central section became stuck at an angle. The structure was closed to the public, and ropes were used to stabilize the suspended section until the planned removal could occur. The delay in removing the bridge was attributed to Storm Austen, which postponed the arrival of a floating crane from Falmouth.

Political disagreement has emerged over the cause of the failure. Labour group leader Tom Renhard stated that the public deserves transparency regarding how the bridge arrived at this state. He described the structure as a metaphor for council operations over the last two and a half years, arguing that basic infrastructure maintenance is not being delivered.

Renhard noted that senior Green Party councillors have traveled abroad for conferences, including trips to New York and Geneva by council leader Tony Dyer. He contrasted this with the current state of the harbour, which he said is surrounded by a broken bridge and faded murals. He added that the harbour should be the pride of the city but currently lacks that status.

A freedom of information request revealed that concerns about the bridge's collapse were raised several months prior to the incident. Labour councillor Tim Rippington pointed out that the original builder had warned the council the bridge could slip into the harbour after the initial August failure. He stated that hydraulic oil spilled into the water during the collapse and was contained, though he called for more detail on the environmental mitigation steps.

Responsibility for the harbour committee now rests with the Liberal Democrats, as the party holds the committee chair position. Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Brown, the committee chair, said the previous administration ignored warnings about the impact of love locks on the bridge. He noted that the council had to ask police to stop riding horses over the structure because it could not be raised, which restricted harbour operations.

Brown stated that the council has allocated seven million pounds for harbour improvements this year, including 1.6 million pounds for Pero's Bridge that was pledged before the collapse. He described the current investment as a response to decades of neglect. He said the committee is prepared to question council staff about the bridge's condition.

Green councillor Jenny Bartle, vice-chair of the economy and skills policy committee, said the administration inherited infrastructure that required significant repair due to national austerity and previous budget choices. She acknowledged that the plan in place for the bridge was inadequate for the scale of the issue. The Greens called for clarity on why the bridge was not properly secured and questioned if the storm delay contributed to the failure.

The harbour committee is scheduled to quiz council staff about the bridge on Thursday, November 12. This session will address the state of the bridge, the repair plans, and the timescales for completion. The inquiry will also examine how the council intends to prevent similar issues on other structures.