It has now been one year since the work to paint and protect the chains of the Clifton Suspension Bridge began – and contractors Taziker recently completed their refresh of the North (Avonmouth) side of the bridge and switched attention to the South (Bristol) side. Although you may think this marks the halfway point in the project, the team have actually completed a lot of additional work in and around both towers, underneath the bridge deck, and in all four of the bridge’s anchorage pits.
In mid-May, the bridge was closed to allow the fixing of high-level lighting around both towers and you may have spotted the contractors abseiling from the tower tops! At the same time, mobile access platforms were driven onto the closed roadway, allowing the team to complete tasks at the tops of the chains and scaffolding required for the works on the South side was erected.
If you have walked along the newly reopened North footway, you may have noticed that it is looking very smart! The team have added a brand new asphalt coating to the footway, replaced the non-slip coating on the hatches above the articulation spans (the metal plates you step on as you enter and exit the footway), refurbished the benches at the base of each tower, and even jetwashed the wooden splashboards on either side of the footway.
On the South side, work is moving ahead at pace as the painters take advantage of the good weather. Scaffolding has started to be erected at access points, the safety mesh along the footway has been removed, and from Sion Hill it’s easy to see how much of the original iron lattice has been exposed as the parapet fence is prepared for painting. Subject to the lovely UK weather, the project is on track to be completed in late 2025, with the bridge fully reopen before the end of the year!
