Prince Street Bridge, Swing bridge and Grade II listed structure in Bristol, United Kingdom
Prince Street Bridge is a swing bridge made of iron that crosses Bristol Harbour and links Prince Street to Wapping Road. The structure sits between an art gallery and a museum, allowing pedestrians to cross the water passage.
The structure was built in 1879 as a replacement for an earlier crossing from 1809. This location once hosted an ancient ferry service before the permanent bridge was constructed.
The bridge serves as a walking passage connecting cultural venues and the working waterfront in Bristol's harbour district. Visitors cross it to move between museums and galleries while experiencing the maritime character of the area.
The bridge rotates to allow larger vessels to pass through and requires advance notice of 12 hours or more. Visit outside of opening hours windows to ensure the crossing is available and not scheduled for a water passage.
The bridge operates using water hydraulics powered by an adjacent engine house rather than electric motors or modern systems. This original mechanical design is rarely found in contemporary bridge engineering and represents a working heritage system.
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