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Case Studies 3rd July 2026

New FRP Footbridge Delivered at Portishead Yacht Club

We replaced the timber footbridge at Portishead Yacht & Boat Club with a new FRP bridge for North Somerset Council, following previous completed installations.

New FRP footbridge at Portishead Yacht and Boat Club seen from above, on the coastal path above Sugar Loaf Beach Case Studies

We’ve completed the replacement of the footbridge at Portishead Yacht & Boat Club for North Somerset Council. The old timber crossing is gone, and a new fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge now spans in its place, with new approach ramps, railings and concrete works either side.

The brief

The existing timber footbridge, on the seafront by Sugar Loaf Beach, had reached the end of its serviceable life. North Somerset Council instructed EJM to deliver the works: demolition of the old structure, assembly and installation of the new bridge, and all the civils either side.

FRP is a sensible choice here. The units are light enough to offload and assemble with a small gang and compact plant on a tight seafront site. The material won’t rot or corrode in the salt air, and maintenance over its design life is minimal.

Looking across the new FRP footbridge deck at Portishead Yacht and Boat Club with the estuary behind

What we delivered

  • Site set-up, de-vegetation and temporary pedestrian management to Chapter 8 standards
  • Temporary support systems and access platforms for safe working at height on the seafront
  • Demolition of the timber bridge and both approach ramps, with waste removed to an approved facility
  • Offloading, assembly and installation of the new FRP footbridge
  • New reinforced concrete pads and anti-slip precast concrete cappings at each bridge end
  • New approach ramps to both sides, up to 5m long and 2.4m wide, with new railings to the approaches
  • Full reinstatement of all excavated and affected areas

The challenges

The location brought its constraints. The beach and coastal path stayed in use throughout, so pedestrian routes were managed and signed to Chapter 8, plant was kept clear of live traffic, and the works were held tight to the site boundary with nothing allowed to reach the foreshore or the water.

New tarmac approach ramp and railings leading onto the FRP footbridge at Portishead Yacht and Boat Club

The outcome

The new bridge is assembled, bolted down, capped, ramped and railed, and the crossing is back open for club members, walkers and beach users. A clean, well-run job for a client we work with regularly across North Somerset, and another FRP footbridge delivered for the council, following our earlier installations at St Andrew’s Drive in Clevedon and Pilhay in Yatton.

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