Thursdays Bridge Blogging

Or TBB as it is called among the initiated - which you are now.

This week I present to you the transporter bridge in Middlesbrough. Even though I don't live too far away, I hadn't been to Middlesbrough until yesterday, and - well it didn't make the best impact on me, but I drove accross one bridge, I really liked and saw the worlds widest still operational transporter bridge.

It spans 259.3 meters to be exact across the river Tees.

The bridge plays a role in Billy Elliot and of course "Auf Wiedersehn Pet!"

The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge was built in 1907 by Cleveland Bridge and Engineering of Darlington and opened in 1911. It spans the River Tees and carries 750 people and 600 vehicles a day in the carrying car which crosses over 160 feet above the river. The crossing takes about two and a half minutes.

Passengers and vehicles are transported by means of a large moving platform which is capable of carrying nine vehicles at a time.

Charles Smith of Hartlepool Ironworks put forward the notion of transporter bridges in the 1870s. His idea was taken up by Ferdinand Arnodin, whose first one opened in 1893 in Bilbao, Spain.

Middleborough's bridge, which has come to visually define the city, was opened by Prince Arthur of Connaught in 1911. A steel truss spans the 565ft (or the aforemetioned259.6 meter) between its two towers, clearing the water by 160ft and balanced by cantilevered end spans of 140ft each. The end spans are anchored to the ground with steel cables.

The suspended travelling compartment has been tested to a load of 80 tons. It hangs by wires from a carriage that runs along the girders.

Contractors: Sir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Ltd

on this page is a little clip made at its inauguration - I love those men in hats - walking stiffly...

This is
a webcam link

There are more enthusiasts behind this link - The world transporter bridge association

and here are the site, where I got the original image from. thanks and you tooThanks, again The owner of the first one, Ian Britton, has a rather nice picture of a train as well.