The project aims to provide improved information and activities for the estimated 500,000 people currently visiting the bridge each year.
Development funding of £36,400 has also been awarded to help the Trust progress the plans so that it can apply for a full grant later in the year.
A new building, located within the bridge maintenance yard, is proposed to replace the temporary visitor centre that has provided a limited service for six years.
The bridge opened in 1864 and is a Grade 1 Listed Building. Visitor services manager Mike Rowland: “We plan to create a place for visitors to learn and deepen their appreciation of Clifton Suspension Bridge. We want to encourage local visitors, tourists, school children and engineering scholars to discover Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the Victorian engineer who designed the bridge – as well as his legacy and the context of what is regarded as one of his greatest creations.”
He added that during the past four years the existing temporary facility has welcomed an average of 57,000 visitors annually – including tourists from more than 100 countries. “We are keen to encourage more of the people who come to look at the bridge to visit the centre as well,” he said.
