An historic 112-year-old bridge in Swansea was lifted from its position over the River Tawe by a giant crane back in 2019, with plans to repair and restore it. But now, almost four years on, despite the iron span having been lovingly restored, it's still sat in the park and ride in Landore.
The bascule bridge was once a key piece of infrastructure in the then town of Swansea's world-leading copper industry, but needed repair after being fenced off from public access for decades. We previously reported how the landmark had been earmarked as a key heritage feature of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site, and the plan was for the 70-tonne steel structure to return to the same location in Landore again, once structural repairs, painting and investigations were complete.
It had once provided a vital rail link between the massive Morfa and Upper Bank metalworking sites. The main platform could be lifted using a system of handcranks to allow boats to access further upstream. But it fell into disuse with the demise of the copper industry, and in 1999 it was fenced off amidst safety concerns. Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
