FWA to reconstruct fort's rolling bridge

Sliema Lions have made a donation to Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna to help in the reconstruction of the original rolling bridge at Fort Rinella in Kalkara.

When finished the bridge will be the only working example in the world. It will also be another big plus to visitors to Fort Rinella.

The type of bridge to be reconstructed is named after its inventor, Charles T. Guthrie, a Scottish engineer. He invented this bridge in 1869 after a call was made by the War Department for a quicker way to draw military bridges in use in forts and fortifications.

The Guthrie bridge worked by means of a combination of mechanical force and manual labour. It consisted of a wheeled platform that ran on two metal rails inside the fort when retracted.

The platform also served to span the length of a ditch or a moat. To assist in this operation two large cantilever arms were fitted under the bridge and tied into the scarp face of the ditch as support.

Most late 19th century forts and batteries in Malta were provided with such bridges. Unfortunately, all of these were removed or destroyed, particularly from the 1930s onwards, to enable vehicles to drive into the forts.

There has been considerable interest in the work from far afield, covering national institutions like the Royal Armouries in Britain, military museums and forts in England, Australia, Bermuda and South Africa and private associations.

The project is being closely coordinated by the Palmerston Forts Society based in Portsmouth, UK who are keen to learn from FWA's project in the hope of being able to restore a similar bridge at Fort Nelson in Hampshire.

The overall cost of the project is expected to be around Lm5,000. So far, FWA has raised Lm2,800. It hopes that the last remaining part of the money will be raised soon so that the project may be completed before the end of the year.

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna appealed to private firms and the public to help it raise the last remaining amount for this work. Anyone wishing to contribute in any way is invited to contact FWA on tel/fax number 21 809713 or e-mail fwa@waldonet.net.mt