Major restoration work on the Newport Transporter Bridge has been given the green light.
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.”
