Swing Bridge replacement proposal back before planning
Plans to build a new bridge to link St David’s and St George’s have been submitted to the Department of Planning after years of discussion.
The new bridge would be erected to the immediate east of the Swing Bridge to replace the ageing structure, first built in 1964.
Plans had been submitted in 2023 but challenges arose because the project partially encroached on property at Stoke’s Point owned by the Bermuda National Trust.
The Government confirmed last year that the dispute had been resolved and the new planning application included a letter of acknowledgement from the charity, dated May 2024.
An environmental-impact statement included with the applications said that while the bridge was the subject of major rehabilitative work in 2002 and 2007, the structure was now considered “beyond economic repair”.
The new hydraulically operated lift bridge, which would take up to three years to build, would allow a clearance of 13.6ft for boats at high tide, as opposed to the 10ft clearance offered by the Swing Bridge.
“While that increased clearance from the current condition will allow for most local marine traffic to pass under the bridge, this bridge is designed to open to accommodate larger vessels and sail,” planning documents stated.
“The open span for marine vessel transits has been designed to accommodate existing ferries and is approximately 72ft wide.
“However, given the history of breakdowns of the existing Swing Bridge, which allowed the bridge to be stuck open, the design for the new bridge is for a lifting bridge opened by means of a large hydraulic ram.
“This is a much simpler mechanical system with far fewer moving parts, imposing less need for maintenance. Additionally, the bridge can be closed under gravity if the mechanical systems fail.”
The project would also require the realignment of the roundabout on the southern side of the Swing Bridge, with it moving further east.
The documents also suggested that the construction of the new bridge would occur simultaneously with the building of a replacement for Longbird Bridge nearby.
“It is anticipated that most of the work on this bridge will be done from a barge, with prefabricated sections delivered to Penno’s Wharf and then barged to laydown areas located in the parkland bordering the southern shoreline of Stock’s Harbour,” the documents said.
“Pre-mix concrete is expected to be delivered to site and from there moved and placed by means of a barge-mounted crane
“A construction timeline of 22 months is anticipated for this construction and, for logistical reasons, including ocean barging and access to specialised equipment, construction of this bridge is planned to be concurrent with the new Longbird Bridge construction.”
Plans to replace the Swing Bridge, which connects St George’s to St David’s, have been ongoing since 2016.
Although designs for a replacement were unveiled in 2018, it was put on hold for economic reasons.
The public works ministry carried out significant repairs last year to keep the bridge stable while designs for a replacement were solidified.
In February, Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch said he had requested $5 million in the Ministry of Public Work’s budget to fund the preliminary work, including the final design and preparations for public tender.
Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment, said in May that the bill to replace the Swing Bridge in St George’s would run between $50 million and $60 million and that $3.8 million would be spent this year on “preparatory work” before construction started.
• To read the planning documents in full, see Related Media
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