Welsh Government support provides green light for Newport Transporter Bridge works
Cymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi’r golau gwyrdd ar gyfer gwaith ar Bont Gludo Casnewydd
Major restoration work on the Newport Transporter Bridge has been given the green light today thanks to Welsh Government funding.
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has confirmed that the Welsh Government will provide a £1.5m shortfall in capital funding, as part of the 2021-22 Budget, to help the planned work to get underway.
The £11.9m project is being delivered in conjunction with Newport City Council and the National Heritage Lottery Fund. It will fund the major renovation work of the bridge and the development of a new visitor centre in south east Wales.
The multi-million pound makeover is forecast to attract more than 46,000 visitors each year and will help reconnect the local community with its heritage and culture. There will be opportunities for educational visits, guided walks and climbing challenges, as well as plans to use the bridge café and facilities to host small scale meetings, weddings and community events to help generate growth in the local economy.
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said:
“After a year of uncertainty for the heritage sector due to Covid-19, the funding we are announcing today brings some welcome news for the industry.
“The restoration of the transporter bridge and development of a new visitor centre not only has the potential to create new job opportunities for local people, but also helps to put Newport on the map as a visitor destination bringing wider economic benefits to south east Wales."
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Dafydd Elis-Thomas added:
“The transporter bridge is an icon of Newport and a significant part of Wales’ industrial heritage.
“We need to do all we can to share and preserve the story of our industrial heritage for future generations and I am delighted that this latest project will be another that we can add to Wales’ heritage attractions.”
Notes to editors
Built in 1906, the Newport Transporter Bridge is one of only six working (and eight existing) transporter bridges in the world, and is the most complete example. It is a Grade 1 Listed structure, which uses a hanging gondola to transport cars and people across the river.
The bridge is no longer part of the highway network, and it now functions as a visitor attraction, with an annual admission of 18,000, open from April to October. Cadw notes that the bridge is of international significance, and could be considered for World Heritage Site status as part of a trans-national bid with France, Germany, Spain and Argentina.
A recent technical report concluded that without significant investment the bridge would close within 5 years.