Bridge collapse

[JAParticipant @ja]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cr7kpd1lj7zo

Why did this happen?

JA

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

…”An inspection carried out on the bridge in July 2025 found several “major structural issues” that required “urgent attention” according to the BBC..

..sounds like a much more astute assessment than anyone guessed..

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Being opereated with far in excess of the design loads prior to that no doubt caused those structural issues

“Pero’s bridge used to have thousands of ‘love locks’ attached to it before the council started removing them last summer due to them weighing a combined three tonnes.”

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Instead of making a tried and tested design of bridge, these people using taxpayers money have to go for an expensive structure designed only to look pretty.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

A discussion here on Bristol Live, via archive ph

Lovelocks, millions and years of concerns – the Pero’s Bridge blame game begins
The bridge collapse has reignited a row that began in 2014

It gets a mention on Atlas Obscura
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pero-bridge

And a little about the architect

Pero’s Bridge

Bill

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I wonder how many of those wretched padlocks were placed by locals who might be expected to use the bridge again, but might also be expected to know better; and how many by dozy tourists who might never visit Bristol again.

Either way I don’t believe the sentimentality claim.

It was just a weird craze, rather as people throw coins into water, or (as I have seen) jam them in cracks in tree-bark. Once two or three people have done it, and nowadays presumably posted a soppy “selfie” of doing so on Facetwit or toctick, a daft copy-cat action develops.

I have seen padlocks stuck on a footbridge bridge elsewhere- in Royal Leamington Spa I think – and I hope they too have been removed.

The mentality of coin-discarding and bridge-padlocking is summed up by the first instance I recall of the former, and from many years ago. The cash was in a deep penstock pond alongside the road, forming part of the dam in Cheddar Gorge, so irretrievable without some sort of long-handled scoop. (The dam creates a reservoir of Gough’s Cave river as that emerges sparkling into the sunlight, for public water-supply.)

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Watch out Nigel,  the water gods will be out to get you if you don’t make an offering.

[JA]

On 13 August 2026 at 16:19 JA Said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cr7kpd1lj7zo

Why did this happen?

JA

My guess based only on looking at a few pictures online is that the top pivot of the hydraulic ram bound up after its period of inactivity, causing the main hinge to lift off the rack arrangement and slide forward.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

The prioritising of “art” over functionality?

Russell

[Adrian R2Participant @adrianr2]

I think just lack of maintenance. The Scherzer rolling hinge design has been around for over a century and has the engineering advantage of leaving a clearer span when open (thanks Wikipedia). The counterweights are the arty bit but they do not appear to have contributed to the failure.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

According to the BBC people jamming coins into cracks have damaged the Giants Causeway, leading to considerable cost to remove them

I worked too hard for my money to throw it in wells or stick if in logs

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I like this:

https://www.firgelliauto.com/blogs/mechanisms/rolling-lift-bridge?srsltid=AfmBOooY9BGuWjWrKlz6y7JxoSZCJIMHh8nxMAdzb-vRgpjffvtrimab

MichaelG.

.

Ref.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=Scherzer%20Rolling%20Lift%20Bridge%20Company

[Adrian R2]

On Adrian R2 Said:

I think just lack of maintenance. The Scherzer rolling hinge design has been around for over a century and has the engineering advantage of leaving a clearer span when open (thanks Wikipedia). The counterweights are the arty bit but they do not appear to have contributed to the failure.

Did the Pero’s Bridge use the Scherzer rolling hinge?

Bristol Council has spent an awful lot of money rebuilding/restoring bridges in the harbour area over the last few years. (They are not responsible for Clifton Suspension Bridge). [This is just a comment]

JA

[David AmbroseParticipant @davidambrose86182]

It looks like a rolling lift bridge, but without the usual Scherzer rack and pinion arrangement at the centre of the sector.  If a ram pivot had seized, it might have lifted the bridge off its teeth.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

If I wanted a bridge ‘engineered’ I would probably not contract with Ove Arup

… Just a thought !

[no libel intended]

MichaelG.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Designed by an artist in conjunction with the firm who designed London’s famous wobbly bridge. Aesthetics would be well down my list of desirable qualities in a bridge

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

More bridge news, looks as though the whole thing has moved forwards a long way

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2026-08-19/over-15-million-pounds-needed-to-fix-broken-bridge-say-bristol-city-council

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Not having followed the story, a quick look prompts comments.

The rolling lift bascule appears to have some form of “rack” teeth, but not the conventional gear teeth that we would expect.

Also, one picture shows the span with what appears to, be a sag. One might expect some deflection, because of the over hung weight, not so much as to be obvious.

But some of the comments suggest that the problem lies with the hydraulic lifting system.

No doubt, eventually, we hope, the truth will become clear

Howard

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For a little background … see paragraph 2.2.4

https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/s127642/01.%20Harbourmaster%20Committee%20Report%20-%2023.06.26.pdf

MichaelG.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

There’s a few extra pictures of it here

https://manchesterhistory.net/architecture/1990/perosbridge.html

Bill

[egaParticipant @ega]

Whilst I note that the bridge is named after an African slave, those counterbalancing horns remind me of the Lurs  on a pak of butter!

The figure of £1.5M mentioned would have paid for the progressive removal of those padlocks many times over.

[Adrian R2Participant @adrianr2]

Bristol City Council managed to spend 9 years and £1.1M repairing the cast iron one at Kingsweston.

Probably too much to hope that they will just crane this one back into position to restore access meantime.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2qe2q1pjo

 

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Looking at peak4’s link, if you place a brick or something else solid between the upwards pointing teeth, the teeth will lift out of engagement and the bridge will then have no horizontal constraint as it rolls, allowing it to move forward as can be seen in the first video

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Duncan

Although your analysis makes sense … one would have hoped that ‘test engineers’ would have checked for foreign objects before commencing their work.

.

.

aMichaelG.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

£15 million aught to buy several replacements, still, it’s only taxpayers money. And have rails too large in diameter for stupid people  to fix padlocks on.

[Author]

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