Visitor centre plan for iconic bridge approved
PLANS for a new visitor centre at Newport’s iconic Transporter Bridge – part of a £12m scheme to protect the structure’s future – have been formally approved after flooding concerns were addressed.
The proposals will see the existing visitor centre replaced with a modern, bigger one, designed to be contemporary but also reflecting the area’s industrial history and architecture. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) raised an objection to the scheme, saying the proposals failed to provide sufficient information to show flooding could be addressed.
But an updates flood consequences assessment, providing more details, has been accepted by NRW.
Currently around 16-20,000 people visit the attraction every year, but the project aims to boost numbers to 55,000 in the first year and 45,000 thereafter.
The plans aim to ensure there is something for everyone who visits the attraction, including those who cannot climb the 277 steps to the top. A walkway in the centre will recreate the experience of walking across the bridge, including wind and sound effects.
The new visitor centre will also act as a resource for the community, with rooms, event spaces and a new cafe overlooking the bridge.
It will come with an exhibition space to provide a “proper interpretation” of the bridge and its history.
Repairs and restoration work which will extend the life of the bridge by 25-30 years are also being proposed as part of a separate application to the Welsh Government.