It will be rebuilt using a combination of new and original components.Special permission was needed to carry out the work on the Victorian wrought iron suspension bridge as it carries a Grade II* rating denoting it to be of historic importance.
The bridge, which provides a link for cyclists and pedestrians, was closed to the public in late 2010 following a structural assessment. The assessment revealed uncertainties about its carrying capacity, partly due to the poor condition of some of parts of the superstructure.
Capita’s Bristol office was appointed by Bath & North East Somerset Council to provide project management, cost management and CDM co-ordinator services on a scheme to take the bridge to pieces and reconstruct it using a combination of original historic ironwork and new steelwork. Works are to start later this year with completion expected by autumn 2014.
Access for reconstruction work has been made easier with the presence of a temporary truss, which was installed by Bath & Northeast Somerset Council as an emergency measure to secure the bridge at the start of the project, and which now provides a temporary route across the river for pedestrians and cyclists.
