Transporter Bridge first Warrington Monopoly square confirmed

It has been revealed as the countdown to the release of the highly-anticipated game continued, with only four weeks remaining.

Warrington Transporter Bridge has been announced as being on the popular board game – taking up the Old Kent Road spot.

The much-loved landmark has been selected as a nod to Warrington’s rich industrial past, with the iconic rail transporter bridge being a ‘towering beacon from a bygone industrial age’.

It is the first of the 22 multi-coloured property squares to be announced, with the other 21 – along with train stations, utilities, chance and community chest cards – set to be revealed at the game’s launch on Tuesday, October 25, when the board hits the shops.

The bridge has been ardently championed since last being used in 1975, with the dedicated ‘Friends of Warrington Transporter Bridge’ group successfully lobbying Monopoly bosses to include it.

It will not only be featuring on its own square, but it will also star on customised Monopoly money too.

Warrington Transporter Bridge has been announced for Warrington Monopoly

“A huge congratulations to Friends of Warrington Transporter Bridge, which launched the most persuasive – and ultimately successful – social media campaign,” said Jennifer Lau, custom games executive at Winning Moves UK, which is making the board game under official license from Hasbro.

“We have been wonderfully spoilt for choice putting this game together, so thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions. We are very hopeful the game will hit the spot.

“It features all of the great and good of Warrington – past, present and future – and Old Kent Road is a prized square, which is very high cachet as it is so must talked about.

“We feel that Warrington Transporter Bridge is the perfect fit for this square for several reasons.

“Firstly, it is old like Old Kent Road, dating back to 1916, and it is from a bygone industrial age which is often associated with a dark colour, with Old Kent Road being on a brown square.”

News of Warrington landing the honour of its own customised Monopoly game was announced in February, with residents invited to suggest landmarks to feature.

Following the transporter bridge announcement, Margaret Ingham, chair of the ‘friends’ group, commented: “We are very grateful to the makers of Warrington Monopoly for making more people aware of the world's only rail transporter bridge, here in Warrington.

The unveiled Warrington Transporter Bridge square

“It may even further our dream of getting it restored to be a special tourist attraction for our town."

Mayor of Warrington Cllr Jean Flaherty added: “It is exciting to start to see which locations have been included on the Warrington edition of this iconic game.

“Margaret and the group have done a fantastic job to ensure the transporter bridge has won a coveted place on the board.

“I cannot wait to find out which other landmarks will join them.”

Over the last 25 years Winning Moves UK and Hasbro have produced official versions of Monopoly in places all over the world, from Dubai to Sydney.

Monopoly: Warrington is due to hit the shops at 10am on October 25, and it will be available at Waterstones, WH Smith and The Works – as well as extensively online, including on Amazon and Booghe.