Project objectives, the programme so far, upcoming and ongoing works.
Our New Cut river wall stabilisation project is an £11.9 million initiative aimed at securing and reinforcing high risk river walls along the New Cut of the River Avon.
We are working to secure more funding to address the serious and growing risks posed by the aging infrastructure.
The project is a critical step in addressing safety concerns around erosion and instability along the riverbank, to safeguard Bristol harbourside communities and infrastructure into the future.
It's one of a number of key harbourside infrastructure projects that include restoring 8 New Cut bridges over 5 years.
Project objectives
- Stabilise and reinforce high risk retaining river walls long the Floating Harbour and New Cut.
- Mitigate the potential consequences of river wall failures, including loss of life, flooding, property damage, and traffic disruption.
- Implement a 5-year stabilisation programme to address immediate risks and ensure long-term resilience.
Programme so far
Work started in March 2024 and has included:
- repairing the river wall on the southwest corner of Bedminster Bridge where the roundabout joins Coronation Road
- investigatory works to the river wall alongside Cumberland Road, 90 metres from Gaol Ferry Bridge
- investigatory works to the natural rock faces along the riverbank near Gaol Ferry Bridge
- removing vegetation from both sides of the New Cut river walls to assess structural damage
- emergency works and long-term repairs to the river wall either side of Langton Street Bridge (Banana Bridge) on York Road
- work starting from November 2025 to repair the river wall by the entrance the Old City Gaol
Cumberland Road repairs: opposite the entrance to the Old City Gaol
Work to strengthen a section of New Cut river wall next to Cumberland Road is starting from 1 November 2025.
The section of river wall is opposite the entrance to the Old City Gaol, between Gaol Ferry Bridge and Bathurst Swing Bridge.
The essential repairs are expected to take up to a year. They include:
- laying concrete and rock foundations on the riverbed
- fixing and anchoring the wall
- covering the wall with mesh to hold it in place
Part of Cumberland Road will need to close one-way heading towards Gaol Ferry Bridge.
Two-way traffic will be maintained using temporary traffic lights that will be on the council’s Scoot system. This monitors traffic conditions and automatically adjusts the timings of traffic lights to reduce delays and congestion.
The Wapping Wharf bus stop on Cumberland Road will be closed from 9am on 1 November for around a year. A temporary bus stop will be set up nearby on Cumberland Road.
York Road stabilisation: permanent works
In July 2024 we started emergency repairs to stabilise the river wall either side of Langton Street Bridge (Banana Bridge), which included placing 600 one-tonne bags on the river bank.
We started the long-term, permanent repairs in December 2024. These include:
- installing a sheet-piled retaining wall at the top of the bank to stabilise York Road
- building a concrete piled wall behind the existing river wall
- planting trees and vegetation along the stabilised embankment
Bath New Bridge
From 14 July work will start on Bath New Bridge, which is part of Bath Bridges roundabout, that will impact traffic and routes in the area, including York Road.
From this date, we will reopen York Road one-way travelling from Bath Bridges roundabout towards Bedminster Bridges roundabout. However, there will be two-way traffic on the section of road from Spring Street to Bedminster Bridges roundabout.
There will be no right turn from both St Luke's Road and Spring Street onto York Road and no left turn from Bath New Bridge onto Clarence Road. This will mean York Road and Clarence Road will act as a sort of gyratory system (one-way streets to create a circulating traffic system).
These arrangements are to allow the river bank stabilisation works to continue along York Road and to keep traffic moving while the Bath New Bridge works take place.
We'll need to close the Bath New Bridge overnight later in the project to resurface the road.
Significant delays are to be expected.
Thank you
We understand how inconvenient changes to the road network are. Thank you for your patience so far. We're asking you to bear with us again as we continue working on the permanent repairs that will safeguard York Road and the river wall for future generations.
Ongoing works and wider programme
- Inspection of natural rock faces near Gaol Ferry Bridge.
- Minor repairs on various sections of river walls along the New Cut as required.
- Repairing Underfall Sluice footbridge, further investigations, ecological assessments, and vegetation clearance at additional river wall sites.
Key features
- Any vegetation clearance will be supervised by ecologists to ensure minimal environmental impact during works.
- Griffiths, the council's contractor, is carrying out the works.