Ashton Swing Bridge
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This road and rail swing bridge was built across the river Avon in 1906 in order to link Long Ashton with Hotwells on the southern edge of Bristol.
The builders were John Lysaght & Co.It was controlled from a cabin perched high above the bridge over the road section.
The cost of the bridge was shared between the GWR and the City Council, though the actual cost was twice the estimate of £36,500. It is some 70 m long and could swing either way, but as it had not been swung since 1934, it was fixed in 1951.
The bridge last swung in 1936, and has been a fixed structure since 1953. The large building adjacent to the bridge was once a tobacco warehouse.
Road traffic across the top deck ceased in 1965 and the railway tracks were singled in 1976. The tracks are still in situ but disconnected from the railway system.
By road: Off A3029, Brunel Way, where it crosses the river Avon
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Cycling Bristol - The Pill Path
British Listed Buildings - Ashton Swing Bridge