Tristan Ralph, the bridge master of Clifton Suspension Bridge, has marked the completion of a £7.5m refurbishment project, describing his role as a "big responsibility" and himself as a "temporary custodian" of the structure.
Ralph, a bridge engineer by profession, oversees the maintenance and running of the Bristol landmark without any public money. He said: "It does feel a big responsibility. When the chairman of the trustees rang to say we'd like you to do it, you suddenly feel the pressure. It's so famous and people in Bristol, quite rightly, are proud and almost possessive of it. Bristolians think: 'It's our bridge.'"
Refurbishment completed on budget
The refurbishment, the largest in the bridge's history, took two and a half years and involved hand-painting more than 4,000 original iron chain links and installing an energy-efficient lighting system. It cost about £7.5m.
"It's been a big job," Ralph said. "But it's come pretty much bang on budget, which is rare these days."
The project's completion is significant because the bridge receives no public funding. "The upkeep of the bridge, the running of it, the salary costs and everything are all paid only by our toll money," Ralph explained. "People think that we might get something from local or central government. But, no, it's just the toll money."
Vital transport link and tourist draw
Motorised vehicles, including motorcycles, pay £1 to cross the bridge, while pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders cross free. The bridge is both a tourist attraction and a vital part of Bristol and North Somerset's transport system.
"It draws the tourists in. We get visitors from hundreds of countries every year but primarily, it's still a vital piece of local infrastructure," Ralph said. "If the bridge wasn't here, the difference it would make to Bristol traffic would be incredible. We average over 8,000 vehicles a day still. Maintaining it as a transport link is utterly vital."
Ralph noted that future work is already planned, including painting the underside of the bridge and replacing the under-bridge gantry unit. "So there's always something. We need to keep on top of things. It's like your house or your car. If you just ignore it, don't do things for a couple of years, they start breaking down."
Climate and design challenges
The climate emergency presents challenges. Ralph said: "We were monitoring the bridge daily in the summer with the very hot weather. And maybe if the bridge was being designed today, there would be a little bit more robustness around wind."
The prevailing south-west wind is usually not a problem, but if it blows directly through the Avon Gorge, the bridge can be difficult to manage. "We need to keep an eye at both the magnitude of any wind events but also their frequency," he said.
Ralph praised the bridge's designers, including Isambard Kingdom Brunel, saying: "It's remarkably advanced for its time." He noted the structure has three layers of chains, an upgrade from Brunel's original two-layer design, and said the bridge "doesn't have a finite life".
"There's no end date in our plans. We all just keep it going in the highest standards as we can. It's in really good condition as long as we keep doing what we need to do, keep our attention on it and don't let things drift. Forever is a long time but there's no reason why we have any need to worry at the moment."
