Poole Bridge and Twin Sails Bridge are set to receive a £6million upgrade after BCP Council’s cabinet recommended a major investment to extend the life and reliability of both structures.
The improvements will be funded entirely by the Community Infrastructure Levy – money paid by developers – meaning Council Tax will not be used.
Each bridge sees around 10,000 journeys a day. The planned work will help avoid unplanned closures by tackling issues such as corrosion at Poole Bridge and repeated mechanical failures at Twin Sails.
Over the next three years, engineers will carry out corrosion repairs and a full repaint of Poole Bridge, while Twin Sails will have its lifting mechanism upgraded to reduce the need for ongoing maintenance.
The investment also includes the installation of four new digital information signs to replace the current outdated models. These will be more reliable and require less maintenance.
Councillor Andy Hadley said a clear pathway has been set out for long-term reliability upgrades, and that the work supports everyone who uses the bridges daily.
The cabinet’s recommendation was made on 16 July and will go to Full Council for a final decision next week.