Operation of a small transporter bridge at Maarsserbrug | |
| Material | Steel |
|---|---|
| Movable | Yes |
Atransporter bridge, also known as aferry bridge oraerial transfer bridge, is a type ofmovable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. Thegondola is slung from a tall span bywires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigablerivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be able to pass. This has been a rare type of bridge, with fewer than two dozen built. There are just twelve that continue to be used today.
The concept of the transporter bridge was invented in 1873 by Charles Smith (1844–1882), the manager of an engine works inHartlepool, England. He called it a "bridge ferry" and unsuccessfully presented his ideas to councils in Hartlepool,Middlesbrough, andGlasgow.[1]
The first transporter bridge,Vizcaya Bridge was built betweenLas Arenas andPortugalete, Spain, in 1893. The design fromAlberto Palacio[2] inspired others to attempt similar structures. The idea came about in locations where it was seen as impractical to build long approach ramps that would be required to reach a high span, and in places whereferries are not easily able to cross. Because transporter bridges can carry only a limited load, the idea was little used after the rise of theautomobile.
The first such bridge built in France, the 1898Rouen bridge crossing theSeine, was destroyed by the French Army to slow down German troops inWorld War II. Transporter bridges were popular in France, where five were erected and another partially completed.
The United Kingdom has four transporter bridges, thoughWarrington Transporter Bridge is disused and the modernRoyal Victoria Dock Bridge, though designed with the potential to be used as a transporter bridge, has so far only been used as a high-level footbridge. TheNewport Transporter Bridge was built in 1906 across theRiver Usk inNewport. Because the river banks are very low at the crossing point (a few miles south of the city centre) a traditional bridge would need a very long approach ramp and a ferry could not be used at low tide. The Newport Bridge was aFerdinand Arnodin design.[3] TheMiddlesbrough Transporter Bridge opened in 1911 crossing theRiver Tees.[1] It was featured in the 2002 series of the popular British TV showAuf Wiedersehen, Pet; the programme's plot had the bridge being dismantled and re-erected in Arizona, US.[4] TheWidnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge, demolished in the early 1960s, was the first of its type in Britain, and the largest ever built.
In the United States, two such bridges were built. The first was theAerial Bridge built inDuluth, Minnesota in 1905, although the city had originally planned to build a vertical lift bridge at the site. The transporter design was used for about 25 years before the structure was reconfigured to lift a central span in 1930.
The second American transporter bridge was different from other designs and partially resembledgondola lifts used in mountainous regions. TheSky Ride was part of the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair ("Century of Progress"). It was taken down after two years, and was the longest bridge of this type ever built at the time.
Two historic transporter bridges survive in Germany. Thebridge atRendsburg, from 1913 is two bridges in one: arailroad link crosses on the top span, and the suspended ferry carries traffic on the valley floor. TheOsten Transporter Bridge at Osten is four years older and was the first transporter bridge in Germany.
| Bridge | Image | City | Country | Completed | Span | Clearance | Height | In Use? | Coordinates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vizcaya Bridge |  | Portugalete/Getxo |  Spain | 1893 | 164 m (538 ft) | 45 m (148 ft) | 61.3 m (201 ft) | Yes | 43°19′23″N3°1′1″W / 43.32306°N 3.01694°W /43.32306; -3.01694 (Vizcaya Bridge) | In use 24/7, passenger fare 0.45 euro in 2022 (1.60 at night), fares between 1.65 and 3.50 for vehicles. It was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2006. It has become a prototype for subsequent bridges. |
| Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge |  | Rochefort, Charente-Maritime |  France | 1900 | 140 m (460 ft) | 50 m (160 ft) | 66.5 m (218 ft) | Yes | 45°54′58″N0°57′38″W / 45.91611°N 0.96056°W /45.91611; -0.96056 (Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge) | In use during the summer. This bridge may be seen in the filmThe Young Girls of Rochefort. |
| Aerial Lift Bridge |  | Duluth, Minnesota |  United States | 1905 | 120 m (390 ft) | 41.1 m (135 ft) | 69.5 m (228 ft) | No | 46°46′44″N92°5′34″W / 46.77889°N 92.09278°W /46.77889; -92.09278 (Aerial Lift Bridge) | No longer a transporter bridge; converted into alift bridge in 1929, in use. |
| Newport Transporter Bridge |  | Newport |  United Kingdom | 1906 | 196.6 m (645 ft) | 50 m (160 ft) | 73.6 m (241 ft) | No The bridge is closed for restoration work and the construction of the new visitor centre. | 51°34′14″N2°59′8″W / 51.57056°N 2.98556°W /51.57056; -2.98556 (Newport Transporter Bridge) | Currently [2023] closed again for repairs and construction of the new visitor centre with a planned Summer 2024 reopening.[needs update][5] Appears in the filmTiger Bay.[6] |
| Osten Transporter Bridge |  | Osten |  Germany | 1909 | 80 m (260 ft) | 30 m (98 ft) | 38 m (125 ft) | Yes | 53°41′39″N9°10′58″E / 53.69417°N 9.18278°E /53.69417; 9.18278 (Osten Transporter Bridge) | In use, but only as a tourist attraction. |
| Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge |  | Middlesbrough | United Kingdom | 1911 | 180 m (590 ft) | 49 m (161 ft) | 68 m (223 ft) | No. The bridge has been closed due to the bridge being unstable and its future is currently under discussion.[needs update?][7] | 54°35′4″N1°13′40″W / 54.58444°N 1.22778°W /54.58444; -1.22778 (Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge) | The bridges future is currently in discussion with Mayor Sir Ben Houchen due to the £60M GBP it is estimated to cost for full repairs of the bridge to be put back into operation, residents have mixed opinions on this and there is currently a public consultation into whether it should get knocked down and replaced or repaired due to its significant history and pride in the local area of the Teesside. |
| Rendsburg High Bridge |  | Rendsburg | Germany | 1913 | 140 m (460 ft) | 42 m (138 ft) | 68 m (223 ft) | Yes | 54°17′37″N9°40′56″E / 54.29361°N 9.68222°E /54.29361; 9.68222 (Rendsburg High Bridge) | Only known combo railroad/transporter bridge. Gondola was destroyed in a collision with a ship in 2016, but has been replaced by an exact replica in 2022. |
| Puente Transbordador Nicolás Avellaneda |  | Buenos Aires/Dock Sud |  Argentina | 1914 | 103.6 m (340 ft) | 43.5 m (143 ft) | 52 m (171 ft) | Yes | 34°38′18″S58°21′22″W / 34.63833°S 58.35611°W /-34.63833; -58.35611 (Puente Transbordador) | In use. It was closed in 1960 but was restored and reopened in September 2017. |
| Warrington Transporter Bridge |  | Warrington | United Kingdom | 1916 | 57 m (187 ft) | 23 m (75 ft) | 27 m (89 ft) | No | 53°23′1″N2°36′27″W / 53.38361°N 2.60750°W /53.38361; -2.60750 (Warrington Transporter Bridge) | Disused. Originally for rail wagons. Converted for road vehicles in 1940. Listed as an "ancient monument", but still at risk. (One of two originally at this site; the other, from 1905 did not survive.) |
| Puente Nicolás Avellaneda |  | Buenos Aires/Dock Sud | Argentina | 1940 | 60 m (197 ft) | 21 m (69 ft) (not lifted), 43 m (141 ft) (lifted) | 57 m (187 ft) | Yes | 34°38′17″S58°21′21″W / 34.63806°S 58.35583°W /-34.63806; -58.35583 (Puente Nicolás Avellaneda) | Transporter bridge below a liftable section of a vertical lift bridge. Since 1960 only used, when the road on the bridge is closed for maintenance work. |
| Royal Victoria Dock Bridge |  | London | United Kingdom | 1998 | 128 m (420 ft) | 15 m (49 ft) | 45 m (148 ft) | No | 43°19′23″N3°1′1″W / 43.32306°N 3.01694°W /43.32306; -3.01694 (Royal Victoria Dock Bridge) | Designed to allow use as a transporter bridge but currently only in use as a high-level footbridge. |
| Erlebnisbrücke |  | NearMönchengladbach | Germany | 2003 | 24.3 m (80 ft) | Yes | 51°14′17.1″N6°28′28.52″E / 51.238083°N 6.4745889°E /51.238083; 6.4745889 (Erlebnisbrücke) | Small human-powered transporter bridge.[8] | ||
| Hamrštejn Footbridge | .jpg) | Liberec andChrastava, overLusatian Neisse |  Czech Republic | 2010 | 23 m (75 ft) | Yes | 50°47′16.5″N14°58′13″E / 50.787917°N 14.97028°E /50.787917; 14.97028 (Hamrštejn Bridge) | Small human-powered transporter bridge. |
| Structural types |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Lists of bridges by type | ||
| Lists of bridges by size | ||
| Additional lists | ||
| Related | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
