Due to heavy recent rains, the River Avon in the New Cut has been flowing very rapidly with large volumes of water running through at high speed. The result has been a series of mud slips on the Coronation Road side of the Cut as shown in the right panel of our image. The image in the left panel was taken in March 2020. The stone cages which act as bank defences are continuing to be pushed outwards, downwards and rolled over due to the weight of the mud.
We are aware that Bristol City Council has identified sections along the New Cut in need of urgent repair. The possible collapse of Coronation Road at this point should persuade the Council to act sooner rather than later. Cumberland Road was reduced to a single lane in January 2020 when the bank of the Cut collapsed. The repair to the bank of the Cut at this point is still ongoing.
In March 2021 Bristol City Council cabinet member for transport Kye Dudd said: “After decades of under-investment, we are acting now to ensure Bristol’s historic waterside is fit for the future. This significant injection of funding will not only enable us to carry out urgent work now, it will also mean we can identify future needs in advance, reducing the risk of increased costs in the future and keeping the waterfront safe and accessible for Bristol’s residents and visitors to enjoy” (italics added). We hope the Council is closely monitoring the state of New Cut bank along this section of Coronation Road.