As the old viaduct had been Grade II listed, efforts to preserve it for historical reasons were integrated into the replacement plan. A section of the old structure were relocated onto adjacent railway land to the west of the new viaduct. A few elements were incorporated into the new bridge such as a single span of the original substructure at the Llanelli (west) end, and the original abutments were reused. On 13 June 2013, the Loughor Rail Viaduct replacement programme was commended at the CIHT Sustainability Awards. On 1 July 2014, industry publication New Civil Engineer announced that the new bridge had been awarded the Institute of Civil Engineers Wales Cymru George Gibby Award.