The bridge, which opened in 2012, connects Poole with Hamworthy and has faced repeated reliability issues since its launch.
On August 26, 2025, the bridge was placed into an upright position for safety reasons after engineers inspected the lifting mechanisms.
This closure is not the first time the Twin Sails Bridge has been forced to close. In May 2024, the bridge remained out of action for almost three months after another fault was identified during scheduled checks.
In October, BCP Council confirmed that preparatory work were underway while engineers awaited specialist materials needed for repairs to arrive.
In November the council said works would begin on December 15, 2025, and are “anticipated to take around a week, subject to safety testing,” Due to a delay, outside of the Councils control, in manufacturing one of the key components the repair work has taken longer than anticipated.
In January 2026, BCP Council announced that the remainder of the works would take place between January 28 and February 2 with the bridge in a lowered position. The council confirmed that the bridge would reopen on February 2 “subject to successful completion of the repairs and adequate test lifts”.
In the most recent update, a BCP Council spokesperson said, “Following the completion of repairs, and the appropriate safety testing, Twin Sails Bridge will return to normal operation and re-open for all traffic at 2pm today (2 February 2026).
“Our team has worked hard, day and night, to implement these repairs and have had to await the arrival of specialist materials to complete the final phases.
“We understand the closure has been frustrating for residents and appreciate their continued patience while we carried out these essential repairs.”
Twin Sails and Poole Bridge, at their busiest, lift around 6,000 times each year and support roughly 20,000 journeys every single day.
Earlier this year, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) councillors approved £6 million of funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to deliver a long-term solution. This investment focuses on improving the lifting mechanism and addressing the recurring reliability problems that have disrupted journeys for residents and businesses.