Ashton Avenue Swing Bridge
VolkerLaser delivered essential refurbishment works at Ashton Avenue Swing Bridge in Bristol, which was a significant milestone in our portfolio of bridge projects.
What we did
Built in 1906, this former road and rail swing bridge over the River Avon in Bristol, formed part of a local access and cycle route, despite being in a poor state of repair. The Grade 2 listed bridge was on Bristol City Council’s ‘Listed Building At Risk Register’, which described the bridge as being in a very bad condition with clear signs of structural instability. The register stated that, prior to works taking place, the bridge was at “immediate risk of further rapid deterioration”.
With the desire to complete the works supported by English Heritage, our team was contracted to provide full renovation of the bridge. A fully encapsulated scaffold system was placed on the bridge, to take the flow of the River Avon when tides came in, with the team delivering preliminary strengthening works to restore the bridge’s stability to modern standards.
The bridge’s bearings and surface had passed their service life, and thus had to be removed and replaced, along with any damaged steelwork. The team concluded the works by completely repainting the entire structure, without detracting from what the bridge originally looked like.
Our work on the Ashton Avenue Swing Bridge meant that the structure was able to reopen as part of the Bristol MetroBus project, with the bridge featuring a single guided bus lane, as well as a widened cycleway and footpath.
