£1m swing bridge to connect Redrow's Harbour Village to town centre
Redrow Homes has installed a £1m swing bridge to provide a pedestrian and cycle link from its Harbour Village development in Fleetwood to the Freeport shopping outlet village and the centre of town. The bridge is expected to be operational by the end of the summer.

Redrow has installed a £1m swing bridge to connect its Harbour Village development in Fleetwood to the centre of the town.

The 27-metre bridge was escorted from supplier Qualter Hall & Company in Barnsley, where it was built, to the Lancashire seaside town 100 miles away.

The bridge will provide a pedestrian and cycle link from Redrow’s housing development to the harbour, the Freeport shopping outlet village and the high street of the town.

“It has been the result of months of design and planning to create this specialised structure, and to transport it from the manufacturers to its destination,” said Chris Mills, technical director for Redrow Homes Lancashire.

“Operations like this take time and intricate planning to make sure that the process goes smoothly from the moment it leaves its construction base to the moment it arrives at its destination and is installed.

“It is a crucial part of Harbour Village and it is both exciting and satisfying to see it in place, ready for the final installation as the development continues to progress.”

The swing bridge at Harbour Village will cross the Wyre Marina at the Fleetwood Harbour Entrance Channel on the River Wyre, and will provide pedestrian and cycle linkage from Fleetwood town centre via Dock Street, Queen’s Terrace and Station Road through the open space and cycle footpaths within the Harbour Village development and through to Fleetwood Marsh Nature Reserve, Jameson Road and the Wyre Estuary Coastal Path.

It will be open to pedestrians other than approximately two hours either side of high tides, when it will swing to allow vessel access to the marina.

The bridge is 27 metres in length and 3 metres wide. It has a mast height of 10 metres and weighs approximately 27 tonnes.

The bridge is expected to be ready for use towards the end of summer.