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An eyesore in Bristol city centre is finally set to be demolished, more than 15 years after the idea was first mooted.

The two derelict escalator buildings and the footbridge spanning across the Old Market Street Roundabout are set to be torn down later this month.

Bristol City Council has written to residents and business owners to warn them about possible travel disruptions to one of the most used roundabouts in the city.

UPDATE:

The demolition work will start on May 20 for a period of six weeks.

The footbridge, which spans across Temple Way underpass and Bond Street, north of the roundabout, has been in a poor state for years.

In 2002, organisations who had buildings and offices near the footbridge called for its demolition, but it was held off because it was deemed too expensive by the council.

It was described as “an eyesore”, and a “rat run for vagrancy, drug-taking and general crime."

The bridge was part of a grand scheme in the 1960s to create a ‘city in the sky’ – a network of elevated pedestrian walkways throughout the city centre.

That plan never came to fruition.

Major road closures

The council has warned there will be temporary lane closures and only two lanes of traffic on the busy roundabout.

These restrictions will apply Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm and occasionally at night, if required.

Temple Way underpass will be closed from 8pm on Saturday, May 27, until 4am on Monday, May 29.

The roundabout will be closed from 8pm on that Saturday 8pm until 10am the following Sunday and from 4pm Sunday until 4am Monday.

Only two lanes will be available between 10am on Sunday and 4pm on Sunday.

The West Escalator building will be demolished between Saturday June 10, from 8pm, until Sunday June 11, at 11pm, with the roundabout closed between Castle Street and Temple Way.

The underpass will remain open at that time.

The East Escalator building will be torn down between the same times the following week, and the underpass will remain open. The roundabout will be closed between Temple Way and Old Market.

Full list of closures below.

Full list of closures

Saturday, May 20 to Sunday, May 21

Saturday 8pm until Sunday 10am and Sunday 4pm until Monday 4am (if required)

closure of southbound slip road from Temple Way to Old Market Roundabout

closure of northbound slip road from Old Market Roundabout to Temple Way.

Saturday, May 27 to Sunday, May 28

Closure of Temple Way underpass from Saturday 8pm until Monday 4am

closure of the roundabout from Saturday 8pm until Sunday 10am and from Sunday 4pm until Monday 4am (if required)

two lanes of the roundabout will be open between Sunday 10am and Sunday 4pm.

Saturday, June 3 to Sunday, June 4 (if required)

Closure of Temple Way Underpass from Saturday 8pm until Monday 4am

closure of the roundabout from Saturday 8pm until Sunday 10am and from Sunday 4pm until Monday 4am (if required)

two lanes of the roundabout will be open between Sunday 10am and Sunday 4pm.

Saturday, June 10 to Sunday, June 11

Closure of the roundabout between Castle Street and Temple Way from Saturday 8pm until Sunday 11pm

Temple Way Underpass will remain open.

Monday, June 12 to Friday, June 16

Off peak closure (8pm to 3am) of northbound slip road from Old Market Roundabout to Temple Way

Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 June

closure of the roundabout between Temple Way and Old Market Street from Saturday 8pm until Sunday 11pm

Temple Way Underpass will remain open.

Monday, June 19 to Friday, June 23