New look design in twinning tribute

The cities of Plymouth and Gdynia in Poland have been twinned since September 1976.

It’s thought around 15,000 Polish people live in Plymouth.

The refurbishment project was commissioned “to revive the bridge’s symbolism” and to help celebrate the coexistence of the two communities living together in Plymouth.

The bridge on Gdynia Way, one of the main gateways into Plymouth, had previously been decorated with Polish floral folk decorations that had faded over time.

The Road to Mayflower, a team of volunteers, which includes members of Plymouth’s construction industry worked on the new look for the bridge as part of a project to create a lasting legacy for the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Plymouth to Plymouth, Massachusetts USA.

Unveiling Gdynia Way’s new bridge art, the project lead Emma Hewitt said: “As a team of volunteers who feel passionate about Plymouth, we wanted to make a difference and recognised that this bridge located on a main gateway into the city could offer a much improved visitor welcome.

“We also felt it provided the perfect opportunity to more explicitly promote and celebrate the twinning relationship between the cities of Plymouth UK and Gdynia in Poland which has existed since September 1976.”