The historic lights on local landmark, Queen’s Park Bridge, are blazing once again, with final touches following its multi-million pound restoration now complete.
The bridge was recently partially rebuilt and restored by Heywood company, BDB Special Projects Limited, who used original drawings to carefully recreate the structure, so it has the same look and feel as it did when it was first unveiled in the 1930s.
As part of the project, specialists from Middleton company, Metcraft, were brought in to restore the beautiful gold and green lighting columns, which had once stood on the bridge. Although the lighting columns were beyond repair, Metcraft were able to salvage enough of the original lights to create exact replicas. The company, who have worked on heritage lighting projects around the country, including the lights on Westminster bridge, then painted the lights in the original dark green and arranged for gilding specialists to apply gold leaf to the lion motifs which adorn the structure.
The lights were then reinstalled on the bridge and now have an electricity supply, enabling them to light up each evening from dusk to complement the existing street lights and highlight the bridge’s many heritage features.
The lights are energy efficient and can also be lit in different colours to honour special days in the calendar.
Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways, said:
“The Queen’s Park Bridge scheme has been wonderful project for our highways team. Much more than an engineering and strengthening project, it also involved the restoration of an important historic structure which has stood proudly in place for almost a century. I’m incredibly proud of what’s been achieved by the council working closely with fantastic local businesses, like BDB and Metcraft, and to see these wonderful historic lights brought back to life and glowing once again is the icing on the cake.”