Bristol footbridge will be fixed nine years after it first shut

The bridge has been shut since 2015

Work to repair a bridge damaged by lorries won't start until nine years after it was first closed.

Kings Weston Iron Bridge, which links the Kings Weston estate with Blaise Castle, was shut in 2015 after a crash.

Another lorry crashed into the Bristol bridge in 2018 and residents said they felt "neglected" after repeated protests to get it reopened.

Repair work will start in 2024, when it will be raised one metre higher than it used to be to avoid collisions.

The repaired bridge won't be fully accessible as steps will be added, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Planning officers said the size of ramp needed to make the listed bridge accessible would harm the historic heritage of the structure.

Bristol City Council cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said: "Any negative impact on this much-loved asset will be far outweighed by the fact that it will be permanently raised and safe from any further bridge strikes."

The bridge has seen protests over the years from residents wanting to reopen it

Local resident Janet Poole said people in the area felt "forgotten" after years of trying to get the bridge fixed.

She said: "People in Bristol are tired of waiting for this much loved bridge to be repaired and reopened.

"We understand that the plans aren't perfect, but at this stage of the game we just want the bridge repaired.

"We feel neglected, we feel forgotten and we just do not know what else to do."

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