Gaol Ferry Bridge
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox bridge
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|image=File:Bristol, UK - panoramio (6).jpg
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|coordinates={{Coord|51.4459|-2.5994|format=dms|type:landmark_region:GB-BST|display=inline,title}}
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|carries= Pedestrians and cyclists
|crosses= New Cut of the River Avon
|locale= Bristol
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|owner= Bristol City Council
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|preceded= Bedminster Old Bridge
|followed= Vauxhall Bridge
|design=Suspension
|material= Steel
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|material2= Stone
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|complete=1935
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|replaces= Ferry
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Gaol Ferry Bridge is a footbridge in Bristol, England, that crosses the New Cut of the River Avon. It is an ornate steel lattice suspension bridge with timber decking, with a span of nearly {{cvt|60|m}}.
History
The bridge opened in 1935, replacing a ferry which crossed the New Cut near the old Bristol prison, known as the New Gaol. Unlike the Vauxhall Bridge downstream, the Gaol Ferry Bridge is a fixed bridge with no provision for the navigation of vessels unable to pass under it. However, by the 1930s, there was little navigation on the New Cut, and Vauxhall Bridge was last swung in 1936.{{cite web |title=Gaol Ferry Bridge restoration |url=https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristol-harbour/gaol-ferry-bridge-restoration |website=Bristol City Council |access-date=9 December 2022}}{{Cite web |title=VAUXHALL BRIDGE, Non Civil Parish - 1202162 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1202162 |access-date=2022-12-08 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://franc.org.uk/a-brief-history/ |title=A brief history |publisher=Friends of the Avon New Cut |access-date=9 December 2022}}
=Repairs=
File:Gaol Ferry Bridge 2023 closed 2.jpg
Repair work on the bridge began in December 2021 with the bridge remaining open. At the time, it was expected that the bridge would close in January 2022 for around three months.{{Cite web |last=Cork |first=Tristan |date=2021-12-09 |title=Key footbridge across River Avon to close for months |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/key-footbridge-connecting-south-bristol-6326291 |access-date=8 December 2022 |website=BristolLive |language=en}} On 5 August 2022, it was announced that the bridge would close on 22 August for repair work to take place. The work is expected to take between six and nine months and cost in the region of £1 million.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-22 |title=Gaol Ferry Bridge closes for between six and nine months for repairs. |url=https://www.bristolworld.com/news/gaol-ferry-bridge-closes-for-between-six-and-nine-months-for-repairs-3814904 |access-date=8 December 2022 |website=www.bristolworld.com |language=en}} As of February 2023, the repair work has been extended by at least three months, due to the bridge being in worse condition than originally thought.{{cite web |title=Gaol Ferry Bridge restoration |url=https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristol-harbour/gaol-ferry-bridge-restoration |website=Bristol City Council |access-date=2 May 2023}} The bridge reopened on 8 September 2023.{{Cite web |last=Booth |first=Martin |date=2023-09-09 |title=Hundreds join Gaol Ferry Bridge reopening party |url=https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/hundreds-gaol-ferry-bridge-reopening-party/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=Bristol24/7 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Category:Bridges completed in 1935
Category:Pedestrian bridges in England
Category:1935 establishments in England
Category:Suspension bridges in England
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