Historic 70-tonne Bascule Bridge makes its move as restoration takes a major step forward

Drivers near the Swansea.com Stadium should expect disruption tonight as one of the city’s most unusual road users makes its journey through the streets — a 70-tonne Victorian bridge on the move.

Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge will be transported from its temporary home at the Landore Park and Ride site to a verge on Brunel Way tonight, where it will wait to be lifted back into its permanent position over the River Tawe.

The move will begin at 9pm and is expected to be completed by 6am tomorrow morning. A rolling road closure will be in place on a short section of the A4217 near the stadium before moving on to Brunel Way, with local diversions set up along the route.

The almost 120-year-old steel span — a Grade II listed structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument — has been in storage while specialist restoration work is carried out on its damaged timber supports. That work is expected to be complete early next year, after which the bridge will be lifted back into place.

Once restored and reinstated, the Bascule Bridge will form part of a shared-use path alongside Brunel Way, crossing the River Tawe and giving pedestrians and cyclists a historic link across the water.

The bridge’s return is part of the wider restoration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site — one of Swansea’s most significant industrial heritage projects, which is bringing back to life the remains of what was once the largest copper works in the world.

As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, the restoration of the Bascule Bridge has been a careful, painstaking process given its protected status. The structure cannot simply be repaired — every intervention must be sympathetic to its heritage value and approved in line with its listed building and scheduled monument designations.

Tonight’s move brings the bridge one significant step closer to the moment Swansea residents will be able to walk and cycle across it again for the first time in years.

Drivers in the area tonight are advised to allow extra time and follow the signed diversions.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Restoration work on Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge moves ahead
The latest on the bridge’s restoration — and what the project means for the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site.

Restoration work on historic Swansea bridge moves ahead
Earlier coverage of the painstaking process of bringing one of Swansea’s most unusual listed structures back to life.

2d Av bridge at sunrise, Alpena

Alt text: Sun rises over the 2d Avenue bridge over the Thunder Bay River in Alpena. The bridge is cantilevered and is in the down position, and the control room is to the right. Across the bridge is the post office and Old Town Alpena.

More about the bridge:

https://localwiki.org/alpena/Second_Avenue_Bridge - AlpenaWiki

https://www.visitalpena.com/secondavenuebridgehistory/ - Visit Alpena

#sunrise #alpena #bridge #basculebridge

The White Cart Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge at Inchinnan just to the West of Glasgow. Built in 1923 by Sir William Arrol and Co, it's one of only two rolling lift bridges left in Scotland.

Cont./

#glasgow #inchinnan #bridge #basculebridge #rollingliftbridge #engineering

The Temple Bridge carrying Bearsden Road over the Forth and Clyde Canal in the west of Glasgow. Built in 1932 by William Arrol and Co Ltd and T. Somers, it was designed as a bascule bridge, with a massive counterweight hidden the right hand sandstone support, to allow it to lift up to let boat traffic pass undernearth.

#glasgow #forthandclydecanal #bridge #basculebridge #glasgowengineering

Alameda has six drawbridges between the main island and Oakland or Bay Farm Island—one is just for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, while another was just for trains and is no longer in service.

https://alamedapost.com/features/alameda-life/alamedas-drawbridges/

#alameda #oakland #drawbridge #HighStreet #ParkStreet #BasculeBridge #BayFarmIsland #FruitvaleAvenue #CenterPivotBridge #VerticalLiftBridge #MillerSweeneyBridge #AlamedaCountyPublicWorksAgency