Runcorn Transporter Bridge

The transporter bridge Runcorn (English: Widnes – Runcorn Transporter Bridge or Runcorn – Widnes Transporter Bridge ) crossed the Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal and connected the cities of Runcorn and Widnes . It was completed in 1905 and was the first transporter bridge in Great Britain and the largest of its kind ever built in the world. It remained in service until 1961 when it was replaced by an arched bridge, now known as the Silver Jubilee Bridge . Then the transporter bridge was demolished.

A drawing of the bridge showing the structure and the nacelle

history

At the beginning of the 20th century, the only ways to cross the Mersey at Runcorn Gap were by railroad bridge (which also had a footpath) and the ancient ferry (which was a rowboat). The Manchester Ship Canal was built in the 1890s. This meant that the ferry crossing had to be covered in two stages, interrupted by a climbing section over the wall between the canal and the river. Obviously a road bridge was needed, but it should have been high enough for seagoing ships to cross the canal. The cost of this seemed prohibitive.

In 1899 the Widnes & Runcorn Bridge Company was established to investigate the various possibilities. It was decided to use a transporter bridge. This would be cheaper than an ordinary bridge, and the passage of the gondola could be timed so that the ships were not obstructed. The world's first transporter bridge opened in Bilbao (Spain) in 1893 . This was followed by the suspension ferries in Rouen (France) and Bizerta (Tunisia). In addition, there was already a parliamentary resolution to build the transporter bridge in Newport over the Usk , but it was not completed until 1906.

The transporter bridge Runcorn was approved by parliament in 1900; the same decision allowed the ferry to be suspended. Construction began in December 1901 and was finished in 1905. The cost was £ 130,000 (about £ 10 million at 2010 prices). The transporter bridge was opened in the absence of Edward VII , who was indisposed, by Sir John Brunner on May 29, 1905.

During the following years there were problems both with the operation of the transporter ferry and with its financing. The company never made a profit and in 1911 sold the transporter bridge to the Widnes Corporation. Some improvements were made over time. Over the past few years, 49,000 crossings per year have been carried out and 280,000 cars, 145,000 delivery vans and over 2 million passengers have been transported. Nevertheless, the transporter bridge proved more and more inadequate for the growing transport needs of the region, and its technical condition deteriorated. Apparently there was a need for a permanent bridge, which was eventually built and opened in 1961. Then the transporter bridge was demolished.

description

The two pylons were 55 m high and the distance between them spanned by the bridge girder was 305 m. The weight of the cables from which the bridge girder was suspended was 250 t. The underside of the bridge girder was 25 m above the highest water level. The gondola was 16.7 m long and 7.5 m wide. It could carry four two-horse carts or 300 people. There was a canopy for the passengers. The lower edge of the gondola was 3.7 m above the highest water level and 1.4 m above the wall of the canal. It hung under a moving cart that was driven by electric motors and was 23.5 m long. Under normal weather and loading conditions, the crossing took 2.5 minutes. The driver sat in a cabin above the gondola, from where he had a good view in all directions. The power for the traction motors was supplied by a machine house on the Widnes side.

today

The former machine house with the bridges for road and railroad in the background

The former access ramps to the transporter bridge at the end of Waterloo Road in Runcorn (143 m long) and Mersey Road in Widnes (97 m long) can still be seen today. The machine house has been preserved and is a Grade II * building under monument protection.

Individual evidence

^ Images of England: Former transporter bridge power house . English Heritage . Retrieved July 23, 2010.

literature

The following were used to create the article:

Dave Thompson: Bridging the Years: The Story of Runcorn-Widnes Transporter Bridge . Dave Thompson, Widnes 2000.
HF Starkey: Old Runcorn . Halton Borough Council, 1990.

Further literature:

Dave Thompson: Bridging the Mersey: A Pictorial History . European Library, Zaltbommel 2000.
The Bridging of Runcorn Gap . Halton Borough Council, 1978.