Silver Swallow set to be name of Telford's new £10 million footbridge

The name, which was chosen by school pupils to reflect the bridge's design and colour, is currently well in the lead in Telford & Wrekin Council's naming competition, with 537 votes.

The closing date for voting in the Big Bridge Challenge is three weeks away and has involved more than 500 students across the borough.

In second place with 367 votes is Wolves legend Billy Wright, the first footballer in the world to earn 100 international caps who was born in Belmont Road in Ironbridge.

Captain Webb, the first recorded person to swim the English Channel who was born in Dawley has 194 votes.

Sir Gordon Richards, who is considered one of the world's greatest ever horse racing jockeys and trainers who hailed from Donnington Wood, is in fourth place with 173 votes and Katherine Harley, president of the Shropshire Suffragists, has 166 votes.

Stand-out

Pupils were given the task of coming up with potential names for the glass-sided walkway which links Telford Central Railway Station to Telford Shopping Station in a two-part project that encouraged creative writing with history and research.

Councillor David Wright, cabinet member for housing, transport and infrastructure said: “Thanks to everyone who has voted so far, I’m pleased to see that one of the pupil’s nominations is favourite at the moment but there is still time to have your say.

“The Big Bridge Challenge engaged more than 500 pupils across the borough so we are pleased to have created a learning experience from this stand-out project in the borough’s infrastructure.”

The two-part project encouraged science, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) learning based around bridge-themed tasks including a building challenge.

A creative writing task formed the second part of the competition with more than 200 pupils taking part and helped the project scoop the Team Achievement award from the Institution of Civil Engineers earlier this year. It also presented an opportunity to commemorate some of the borough’s historical figures.

The new footbridge, funded by a Department for Transport grant that the council bid for and won, opened to pedestrians in November 2018 and in time for the town’s 50th birthday celebrations. It also won three awards at the West Midlands ICE awards in May 2019 despite suffering drainage problems during heavy rain.

Voting will close on Friday, August 30 and there is still time to cast votes online.

The current scores reflect figures from a Facebook poll combined with an online survey.