Builder of collapsed Bristol Pero’s Bridge says he warned council and offered to help

The builder of a Bristol bridge which collapsed over the weekend said he offered to help secure the structure before it malfunctioned.  

David Abels, who built the Bristol’s Pero’s Bridge, has said he warned the council that the structure could slip further and offered to help secure it before its latest collapse.

He explained he emailed Bristol City Council offering to assist with repairs and warning of further damage if nothing was done, the BBC reports.

The council confirmed it received the email and passed it to its engineering team.

via SWNS

The centre span of the bridge slipped from its previous position shortly before 11pm, damaging its hydraulic ram, a mechanical component designed to help lift, move and stabilise the structure.

One of the bridge’s horns is now partially underwater, while the central section has tilted downwards. The second horn appears to have struck the remaining section of the bridge that is still afloat, preventing the entire structure from falling into the water.

Bristol City Council has confirmed that no one was injured during the incident. Environmental specialists are working alongside council teams to clear the leaked oil from the harbour near the Arnolfini.

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Engineers are also assessing the damage and reviewing plans to lift the bridge, which is now being considered for next week.

The bridge, which connects Canon’s Way and Narrow Quay, originally broke during a test lift in August and has remained closed ever since.

A specialist marine salvage contractor had been expected to remove the bridge and transport it to Albion Dock, where repair and refurbishment work could take place. However, by late October, the specialist equipment required to carry out the removal had still not arrived.

In a statement, councillor and chair of the harbour committee Andrew Brown said there was currently no confirmed impact on the maintenance and refurbishment programme, although this remains under review while engineers assess the damage and approve revised plans.

Opened in 1999, the bridge takes its name from Pero Jones, an African man who was enslaved in Bristol during the 18th century.

The latest collapse is another setback for the long-closed landmark, with its future repair and reopening now dependent on further engineering assessments.

Featured image via SWNS