Restoration work to a busy bridge near Frodsham has been recognised with a national award.
Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge was commended in the Restoration and Historic Environment category at the 2015 Living Waterways Awards.
The 88-year-old bridge carries a heavy volume of traffic on the A56 over the River Weaver.
A refurbishment project completed in 2014 should extend its life for another 50 years.
Chair of the awards panel Christopher Rodrigues CBE said: “Many heritage features were incorporated and the original gates were repaired.
“Most interesting was the decision to retain the original reliable operating system and not replace it with a computer controlled system.
“With the original system, they can feel the workings of the bridge and know if a problem exists, something not possible with a push button system.”
Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Department of Transport and the Canal and River Trust combined to fund the £4.5m project .
It involved replacing the bridge deck, refurbishing the pontoon and completely repainting the 500-tonne structure.
The Living Waterways Awards recognise the most inspiring and exciting waterway-based improvement projects across the UK.
Winners were selected from dozens of entries by an independent panel of experts.
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