Warrington Transporter Bridge
| Warrington Transporter Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Other name(s) | Bank Quay Transporter Bridge |
| Carries | Vehicles Pedestrians |
| Crosses | River Mersey |
| Locale | Warrington |
| Owner | Warrington Borough Council |
| Designer | William Henry Hunter |
| Design | Transporter Bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Longest span | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Clearance below | 23 m (76 ft) |
| Constructed by | Sir William Arrol & Co. |
| Construction begin | 1913 |
| Opened | 1916 |
| Heritage status | Grade II* |
| Closed | 1964 |
| Coordinates | 53°23′02″N 2°36′27″W / 53.3838°N 2.6075°WCoordinates: 53°23′02″N 2°36′27″W / 53.3838°N 2.6075°W |
The Warrington Transporter Bridge (or Bank Quay Transporter Bridge) across the River Mersey is a structural steel transporter bridge with a span of 200 feet.[1] It is 30 feet wide, and 76 feet above high water level, with an overall length of 339 feet.[1] It was built in 1915 [1] and, although it has been out of use since about 1964, it is still standing. It was designed by William Henry Hunter and built by William Arrol.[1]
It was originally one of two such bridges across the Mersey at Warrington, the other having been erected in 1905 slightly to the north of the existing bridge, and described in The Engineer in 1908.[2] A third transporter bridge over the Mersey was the Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge (built in 1905),[3] dismantled in 1961.
It is privately owned and was built to connect the two parts of the large chemical and soap works of Joseph Crosfield and Sons. It was originally used to carry rail vehicles up to 18 tons in weight, and was converted for road vehicles in 1940.[1] In 1953 it was modified to carry loads of up to 30 tons.[1]
The bridge is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building,[4] and because of its poor condition it is on their Buildings at Risk Register.[5] The bridge is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[6]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Rennison, p. 267
- ^ "A New Transporter Bridge at Warrington" (PDF), The Engineer, 3 April 1908: 341, retrieved 1 December 2012
- ^ Thompson, p. 30
- ^ Transporter Bridge to part of Joseph Crosfield and Sons Ltd's works, Warrington (1139433), National Heritage List for England, English Heritage, retrieved 28 August 2012
- ^ Bank Quay Transporter Bridge, Warrington, English Heritage, retrieved 28 August 2012
- ^ Bank Quay Transporter Bridge, Warrington (1006768), National Heritage List for England, English Heritage, retrieved 28 August 2012
- Bibliography
- Rennison, R.W., "Civil Engineering Heritage : Northern England", Thomas Telford Publishing, 2nd edn., 1996, ISBN 0-7277-2518-1
- Thompson, Dave, "Bridging the Years", MailBook Publishing, 2000
External links [edit]
- Map sources for Warrington Transporter Bridge
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