The new bridge will include improved pedestrian and cycle access, and support heavier traffic by removing the current 7.5 tonne weight restriction – allowing buses, emergency vehicles, and larger goods vehicles to use the route again.
Octavius Infrastructure and the council are delivering the £11m replacement project, which is mainly funded by the Ministry of Defence.
Councillor John Crockford-Hawley, the authority’s heritage champion, added: “The wartime stories of Winterstoke Road, the factories and the iconic Bristol Beaufighter will live on in the pages of our rich local history.”