Royal Tweed Bridge
| Royal Tweed Bridge | |
| Northumberland | |
|---|---|
 The Royal Tweed Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Carrying: | A1167 |
| Crossing: | River Tweed |
| Location | |
| Location: | 55°46’5"N, 2°-0’32"W |
| Structure | |
| Length: | 1,410 feet |
| Material: | Reinforced concrete |
| History | |
| Built 1925-1928 | |
| Information | |
The Royal Tweed Bridge is a road bridge in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, crossing the River Tweed. It was built with the intent to divert traffic from the 17th century Berwick Bridge, and until the 1980s it formed part of the A1 road, the main route from London to Edinburgh. However, the construction of the A1 River Tweed Bridge]] to the west of Berwick has since reduced the Royal Tweed Bridge's importance as a trunk road.
History
The bridge was designed by L.G. Mouchel & Partners, with consulting engineers Charles Bressey and J. H. Bean, and the contractors for construction were Holloway Brothers of London.[1]
Construction took place between 1925 and 1928.[2] The total cost of the bridge was £180,000, and up to 170 workers were employed during its construction.[2] It was opened by the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, on 16 May 1928.[2]
It was built to supplement the older Berwick Bridge a short distance downstream, which still carries road traffic.[3] A bridge had first been proposed in 1896, and a scheme was produced in 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War meant that plans were put on hold until 1924.[2] A seven arched stone bridge was proposed at this time, but eventually the concrete design was decided upon.[2]
The bridge was repaired in 1980, as it had been damaged by de-icing salt and its proximity to the sea.[4]
The A1 River Tweed Bridge, which opened in 1984, now carries the A1 road about a mile to the west of the Royal Tweed Bridge, reducing its importance as a crossing of the Tweed.[5]
The Royal Tweed Bridge is a Grade II* listed building in recognition of its innovative design and striking scale.[2]
Design
The bridge is built from reinforced concrete and consists of four unequal arches, with approach viaducts at each end.[1] The northern end of the bridge is higher, and towards that end the spans are longer.[2]
The spans are of lengths 164 feet, 264 feet, 313 feet and 356 feet, and the approach viaducts are 200 feet and 145 feet long.[2] The spans consist of four arched ribs, solid in the case of the shortest span and hollow for the longer spans.[2] Columns rise from the ribs and are connected at the top by longitudinal beams, which support perpendicular beams that carry the roadway.[2] The piers and abutments are constructed from mass concrete, and there are expansion joints and a system of wind braces over each of the piers.[2]
The parapets are made of dressed sandstone, and there are cast iron lamposts on either side of the roadway.[2]
At the time of its construction, the Royal tweed Bridge held the record for the longest single concrete span in the United Kingdom.[2]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Royal Tweed Bridge) |
- Royal Tweed Bridge at Structurae
- Photo of underside of bridge
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Royal Tweed Bridge". engineering-timelines.com. http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=378. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 National Heritage List 1393563: Royal Tweed Bridge
- ↑ Rennison, Robert William (1996). Civil Engineering Heritage: Northern England. Thomas Telford. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7277-2518-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=Bv2BrOMo8cIC&pg=PA7.
- ↑ Mallett, G. P. (1994). Repair of Concrete Bridges. Thomas Telford. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-7277-2007-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=fRm8lR3BdJ8C&pg=PT43.
- ↑ "Berwick A1 Bridge". bridgesonthetyne.co.uk. http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/beraone.html. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
| Bridges and crossings on the River Tweed | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladykirk and Norham Bridge | Union Bridge | Berwick Bypass Bridge | Royal Border Bridge | Royal Tweed Bridge | Berwick Bridge | mouth |