Princes Street Bridge changes discussed

Big changes could be coming to one of Bristol’s most iconic river crossings — and not everyone's on board.

Transcript

00:00Big changes could be coming to one of Bristol's most iconic river crossings and not everyone is

00:09on board. Prince Street Bridge, the small swing bridge linking the harbourside to the city centre

00:17near the M Shed and Arnolfini is at the centre of a new debate. The City Council is considering

00:23banning all motor vehicles from the bridge and transport bosses are warning it could backfire.

00:31Right now the bridge is crossed more than 24,000 times every single day by people on foot or on

00:38bike. In contrast just 1,700 vehicles use it daily. That's less than one in 10 trips but cars and vans

00:48currently get the same amount of space as cyclists and walkers. Supporters say that relocating the

00:55road space makes sense, encouraging greener travel and making it safer for the majority.

01:01But critics worry about the traffic ripple effect. Transport officials say that closing the bridge

01:07to cars could cause congestion elsewhere, especially around Spike Island and the Bedminster Bridges

01:16roundabout where other roadworks are already planned. No official traffic. Modelling has

01:23been done yet, though it's expected before the final decision. And there's a clock ticking.

01:28The city needs to use a £500,000 government grant by March 2028. One catch? The bridge isn't

01:37strong enough for buses or lorries anyway. So it's never been a full diversion route.