Newport Transporter Bridge is one of only six working transporter bridges left on the planet, and it is soon getting a new visitor centre. The Newport Transporter Bridge is 241ft (73m) tall and 774ft (236m) wide. It was built in 1906, and it carries vehicles across the River Usk in a gondola suspended from the top.
The visitor centre is a part of a £12 million scheme to protect the structure’s future. The new renovations will see the existing visitor centre replaced with a bigger, modern one. The visitor centre will be designed to look contemporary, but it will also boost the area’s architectural and industrial history.
Wind at the top of the bridge and a virtual recreation of the view will be offered to visitors who are unable to climb 277 steps to the top. The current visitor centre can only accommodate four people at a time and has just one accessible toilet. Ongoing renovations to the bridge mean that no significant work would be needed for another 30 years.
Mike Lewis, Newport Council’s Museums and Heritage Officer, said, “We need to grow the visitor numbers if the bridge is to become sustainable for the long-term and we need to have an attraction that works in all weathers. At the moment it is very much a fair-weather attraction but we would like to have visitors in the winter too.”
Mike Lewis was also very concerned about the bridge’s condition. He said “The bridge is of a structure – it’s metal, it’s in an aggressive environment, it’s always rusting, it just never stops, so every so often we have to invest in repairs and maintenance beyond the norm, and this is what this project is about, really. It’s about making sure this bridge is available for our children to go and visit and see.”
After hearing these concerns, the city councillors backed the plans. Councillor John Guy sees the plans as a “celebration” of the bridge and he hopes that bridge will “become one of the Seven Wonders of the World”.
Councillor John Guy said, “This is a celebration. We will have to rely on tourism in Wales in the future and there is already an interest. Lots of people will come there and I am sure it will become one of the Seven Wonders of the World.”
The scheme also includes repair and restoration work that will extend the operational life of the bridge by 25-30 years. These proposals have been made as a separate application to the Welsh Government and Cadw.
According to David Hando, chairman of FONTB, which runs the visitor centre, the goal was to improve the tourist experience. They hope to double the number of tourists visiting the bridge. David Hando said, “The preservation of the bridge is the most important thing but then to get a new more workable visitors centre would be ideal so that we can do our work properly.”
