New steps are being taken in the repair and restoration of an historic Swansea landmark.
They’ll help lead to the return of Landore’s 115-year-old Bascule Bridge.
The structure is earmarked by Swansea Council as a key heritage feature of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site’s bright future – part of the city’s council-driven £1bn regeneration.
The long-term aim is to re-install the restored 70-tonne steel span at its site crossing the River Tawe – once its supporting timbers are strengthened and renewed in due course.
The first of those specialist large timbers are now with the council. Contractors are on site at the bridge site to undertake preparatory works which will take around a month.
Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “Our detailed work so far means that we’re now moving to the next stage of restoring this wonderful survivor of Swansea’s industrial history.
“Work is essential to prevent further decay and risk losing this grade II listed structure and scheduled monument.”
Fellow cabinet member Andrew Stevens said: “The timber restoration is specialist work and we’ll move ahead with that after further design work.
“Our work on the Bascule Bridge will complement the work we are doing to develop a world class tourist destination at the copperworks.”
Drinks firm Penderyn already runs a visitor attraction on the copperworks site and the council – as part of its £1bn regeneration programme for Swansea – has plans to save other buildings on site and prepare them for new future uses.
Restoration work on the bridge’s main span took place at Afon Engineering, Swansea Vale, and this is now kept at Landore as it awaits future reinstallation across the Tawe.
A future phase of the work will see the new and strengthened timber abutments installed.
Council officers continue to work closely with Welsh Government’s historic environment service Cadw on the project. Some bridge funding came from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme.
Businesses involved in the work so far have included Wales-based contractor Griffiths and experienced structural engineers/consultants Mann Williams.
