Mineral Loading Bay

As part of the riverside park rehabilitation works, BILBAO Ría 2000 restored the old mineral loading bay of the Franco-Belga company, located in the area of Reketa, next to Rontegi Bridge. This is a piece of considerable historical value, reconstructed as a tribute and reminder of the mining activities that occupied the area for decades and sustained a large part of the economy of Barakaldo and of the whole of Bizkaia. To ensure the work had a didactic aspect, various explanatory panels were installed next to it on the history of mining, mineral transport and the estuary’s loading bays in general. On the upper platform, which has been converted into a viewpoint over the estuary, a wagon and rails from the Mining Museum have also been installed to help visitors understand the work carried out in the area. The restoration work on the mineral loading bay was completed with the publication of a book entitled “Cargaderos de mineral en la cuenca minera vizcaína” (Mineral loading bays in the Bizkaia mining area). Published in collaboration with the Basque Association of Industrial Heritage and Public Works. The book contains information and images of the mining activities carried out in Bizkaia from the end of the 19th century.