Bristol City Council has announced the temporary closure of the May Walk footpath and the footbridge section of Victor Street Railway Bridge in St Philip’s for emergency maintenance.

The closure will begin on Monday, 3 February 2025, and is expected to last up to six months.

The decision follows recent vegetation removal along the New Cut river walls, which revealed structural issues in an outer retaining wall that stabilises the May Walk footpath, posing a public safety risk. Barriers and fencing have been installed to cordon off the affected areas.

Key repairs will include:

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• Rebuilding the retaining wall: Approximately 20 meters of the wall will be reconstructed from a stable foundation, with scaffolding used for safety.

• Resurfacing the footpath: Cracks and subsidence will be addressed with a complete resurfacing of the path.

• Vegetation removal and tree replacement: Three trees and surrounding vegetation causing structural damage will be removed, with seven new trees planted either on-site or elsewhere in Bristol.

• Drainage improvements: Drainage channels will be relaid, and the gully at the lower end of the path will be cleaned. Investigations will also assess whether drainage issues contributed to the retaining wall's instability.

To facilitate the repairs, the contractor's site will occupy a section of the bus lane on A4 Bath Road near the Three Lamps junction, which will also be temporarily closed.

Pedestrian access will be rerouted via Albert Road, across Totterdown Bridge, and back to the A4 Bath Road near the Three Lamps junction. Additionally, the pavement along the May Walk footpath side of Bath Road will be closed for the duration of the project.