The New Loughor Railroad bridge, recently completed this year.
Replaces the 160 year old Isambard Kingdom Brunel, designed timber supported bridge.
The historic Marker fixed to the fence, explains the history, timeline & how the bridge was replaced with just a 250 hour closure of the railway line.
The reason for the replacement of this British listed, wooden bridge, was not the wood rotting, but the needs of a modern railway, and extra trains, needing a dual track bridge, the old bridge carried only a single rail track.
Three of the timber supports, from this protected structure have been saved for posterity, and reconstructed, with two sections of the old steel spans, near the new bridge, alongside the rail track.
several of the timber supports have been left in their original location, under the new steel and concrete bridge, but not supporting anything.
"The Victorian Grade II listed rail viaduct that once crossed the tidal estuary of the River Loughor, carrying the south Wales main line, was the last surviving example of a Brunel timber viaduct. In 2013, after a series of refurbishments and alterations, the viaduct was demolished and replaced by a new steel and concrete rail bridge.
March and April 2013, as part of the redoubling of 8.4km of railway between Llanelli and Swansea, Network Rail replaced the viaduct with a seven-span steel and concrete rail bridge. The new bridge was constructed alongside the old, then jacked sideways into position after the viaduct was demolished. The new bridge incorporates one span of the original substructure at the Llanelli (west) end and retains its abutments.
Timber pile viaducts used to be a notable feature of Welsh coastal railways, though few now survive. To preserve the heritage value of Loughor Viaduct, a two-span section of the old structure, from deck to waling level, has been relocated (SS559980) to railway land north west of the new viaduct." Text Source: (
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"One of the primary considerations for Tony Gee and Partners in designing the replacement for Loughor Viaduct has been the construction methodology and how the new viaduct can be constructed within the limited 250 hour blockade provided by Network Rail in March 2013. As there is only a limited period of rail disruption available, the vast majority of the construction had to be carried out in advance, allowing the switch over from the existing to the new viaduct during the shut down period.
This resulted in the new bridge being designed to be constructed in sections and launched longitudinally from the west bank alongside the existing viaduct and slid transversely into position during the blockade in March.
The existing viaduct is a Grade 2 listed structure, so listed building consent to demolish it was required before work could commence. Network Rail and Carillion planned to retain as much of the existing structure as possible and the east and west abutments have been incorporated into the new design to retain some of the heritage of the original viaduct." Text Source: (
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Info on the old bridge:
"The Loughor Viaduct was the only surviving timber supported Railway bridge in the Country. It was designed by I.K. Brunel and L.E. Fletcher. It carries the London, Swansea to Fishguard train,on the South Wales main rail line across the tidal estuary of the River Loughor. The viaduct was constructed in 1852, it has eighteen spans each of about 12 metres (40 feet). The structure was originally built entirely of timber, although it has since been re-decked successively by wrought-iron and then steel plate girders. An opening span of swing-bridge type at the western end was replaced by a fixed span during the nineteenth century.
The hardwood parts of the substructure are original." Text Source: (
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You Tube Video of the removal of the old bridge: (
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