You helped win the funding for it and even picked its name, now the Pont y Werin bridge or ‘People’s Bridge’ is once again calling on the public for their help.
Since being chosen by the public as part of the Big Lottery Fund’s, the people’s £50m contest, the Pont y Werin project has continued to ask residents of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan for their input.
As part of the winning Sustrans Connect2 project,the bridge will include two benches, with one placed on either side of the river and each featuring a laser cut outline of three life size individuals. The portrait bench will be cut from sheet steel and installed behind each bench.
Each portrait bench is unique to every Sustrans’ Connect2 scheme, and will reflect local culture, and is intended to enhance the experience of people using the route.
The Pont y Werin Steering Group, which includes local councillors, council officers, residents of Cardiff and Penarth, plus local cycling groups and representatives from Cardiff and Vale Coalition of the Disabled, now need the public’s help,to assist them in selecting six individuals for the portrait benches.
They can be a local person, hero, a famous face from Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, a sporting legend, a person from history or anyone you would like to nominate.
For example, maybe Shirley Bassey gets your vote, or Olympic swimmer David Davies’ achievements have impressed you or Roald Dahl surrounded by characters from his famous books gets your seal of approval.
The Steering Group would like to hear your ideas on who you feel should be immortalised on the Pont y Werin Bridge and why.
Nominating is easy. Residents of Cardiff can email their suggestions to [email protected] or by visiting the tourist information centre in Cardiff Bay to fill out a Vote Bench form .
If you’re in the Vale of Glamorgan you can vote by visiting www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/votebench, emailing [email protected] or by filling in a suggestion form at Penarth Library.
Cardiff Council’s, Executive Member for Traffic and Transportation, Cllr Delme Bowen, said: “The Pont y Werin Bridge has received fantastic backing from the public, without their support and votes the project may not have come to life. I would now like to appeal to them once more, to help us with the portrait bench and ask them to get their thinking caps on and let us know who they would like to see form each bench.”
Vale of Glamorgan cabinet member for planning and transportation, Cllr Jeffrey James, said: “Pont y Werin is very well supported by people on both sides of the river and this is a good occasion for the people of Penarth, and the rest of the Vale, to celebrate and put forward names of people they feel should be immortalised through the portrait bench scheme. We look forward to seeing your suggestions.”
Lee Waters, National Director for Sustrans Cymru, said, “It’s great news that Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan residents are going to pick local icons to proudly mark Pont y Werin. This truly is the peoples’ bridge and this is the final touch. Hopefully local people will not only find the bridge invaluable for their everyday journeys but will enjoy these great pieces of local art too.”
Pont y Werin will open in the summer, with the portrait bench winners being announced in March.
