Purpose

Pero's pedestrian footbridge was constructed in 1999 and links Narrow Quay to the east with Bordeaux Quay to the west across Bristol's Floating Harbour. On 17 March 2026, Harbour Committee approved expenditure of £1,350,000 to undertake repairs to Pero's Bridge and restore the structure to full operational use. On 13 July 2026, the Capital Investment Board subsequently approved the release of £1,350,000 to the Pero's Bridge Repairs Capital Project Code together with an additional £160,000 reallocated from Highways Residual Funding to support the project.
Following a routine maintenance inspection on 13 August 2026, the bridge suffered a significant mechanical failure during a lift test. The bascule lifting span became geometrically distorted and jammed in a partially raised position. As a result, the bridge was immediately closed to pedestrians and vessel movements beneath the structure due to concerns regarding its stability and safety. Subsequent engineering assessments have identified that the safest and most expedient means of mitigating the risk and enabling the repair programme to proceed is the urgent removal of all bridge spans. The bridge components will be transported by barge to Albion Dry Dock where detailed repairs and refurbishment works will be undertaken.
Due to the immediate safety risks presented by the damaged structure, the ongoing closure of a strategic harbour navigation route and the requirement to prevent further deterioration of the bridge, the removal works constitute an Extreme and Unavoidable Urgency. There is insufficient time to undertake a full competitive procurement process without materially increasing operational, safety and financial risks.
It is therefore proposed to appoint KML Limited, a specialist marine salvage contractor with the expertise, equipment and availability required to undertake these works safely and within the required timescales, through the Council's Emergency Procurement for Urgent Work provisions.
The costs associated with this emergency removal operation will be met from the existing approved Pero's Bridge Repairs Capital Project budget. The emergency works will reduce the funding currently available for the wider refurbishment project and any resultant funding shortfall required to complete the repairs will be the subject of a future approval process. The award is proposed in accordance with the Council's Emergency Procurement for Urgent Work procedures based on extreme and unavoidable urgency arising from unforeseeable events. The circumstances giving rise to the urgency were not attributable to the Council and the required timescales are incompatible with the completion of a full competitive procurement process.

Decision

Approval is granted to:
1.Award a contract to KML Limited using the Council's Emergency Procurement for Urgent Work procedure for the removal of all spans of Pero's Bridge and their transportation by barge to Albion Dry Dock.
2.Allocate funding from the existing approved Pero's Bridge Repairs Capital Project budget to fund this emergency contract.
3.Permit expenditure up to the final negotiated contract value within the approved budget envelope.
4.Note that any future requirement for additional funding to complete the overall bridge refurbishment programme will be subject to a separate approval process.

Alternative options considered

1.Do Nothing
This option was rejected as the bridge remains structurally compromised and presents ongoing safety, operational and navigational risks. Leaving the bridge in its current condition would prolong closure of both the bridge and navigation channel, increase the risk of further structural deterioration and potentially result in greater costs in the future.
2.Full Competitive Procurement
This option was considered but rejected due to the urgent nature of the works. The timescales required to undertake a full procurement exercise would delay essential risk mitigation measures and prolong the closure of the bridge and navigation route.