Newport Transporter Bridge

Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport Transporter Bridge from the east bank.
Coordinates	51°34′14″N 2°59′08″W
Carries	Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians
Crosses	River Usk
Locale	Newport
Official name	Newport Transporter Bridge
Maintained by	Newport City Council
Characteristics
Design	Transporter bridge
Total length	645 feet (196.6111 m)
Width	Three cars (gondola) (total width 108 ft / 33 m)
Longest span	594 feet (181 m)
History
Opened	12 September 1906
Statistics
Toll	Motorcycles, Pedal cycles and pedestrians - free Cars - 50p
Location

The Newport Transporter Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in Newport, South Wales in the United Kingdom. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin, it was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar on 12 September 1906. The span is an example of the very rare transporter bridge concept, of which only eight exist worldwide. Service has been suspended indefinitely since the end of 2007.

Reason for the Transporter design

The design was chosen because the river banks are very low at the desired crossing point (a few miles south of the city centre) where an ordinary bridge would need a very long approach ramp to attain sufficient height to allow ships to pass under, and a ferry could not be used during low tide at the site.

The height of the towers is 242 feet (74 m) and the height of the horizontal beam above the road is 177 feet (54 m) [1]. The transporter platform [2] or gondola [3] travels the 645 feet (196.6 m) between the towers at ten feet (three metres) per second, powered from the engine room [4]. This Transporter Bridge is the largest of the eight which remain worldwide, and the oldest of its type in Britain.

Other information

The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of wear. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995 and operated until late 2007 before service was indefinitely suspended. Today, the bridge is widely regarded as the most recognisable symbol of the city of Newport.

The bridge forms part of the classified highway network and is also where route 4 of the National Cycle Network crosses the River Usk and route 47 begins.

It was the focal point of the local millennium celebrations of 2000, where fireworks were fired from its length, and has been featured in several movies and television shows. It was the centrepiece of the Crow Point Festival in September 2006 to celebrate its centenary. It is used for charity events such as sponsored abseils

Travel across the bridge is free for all kinds of bikes and pedestrians, but the fare for cars is 50p. The walkway across the top of the bridge structure is open to the public on bank holidays, this is also free.

As of January 2008 the bridge has been closed for crossings while necessary maintenance is carried out.

Gallery

• 
  The ferry platform crossing the bridge.
• 
  The ferry platform, which can take six cars and 120-foot passengers, crossing the River Usk
• 
  General view of the ferry platform, waiting for more vehicles to arrive
• 
  Information notice attached to the bridge approach.

See also

• Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge - A similar bridge in the North East of England
• Transporter bridge - Summary of worldwide transporter bridges
• The bridge was the setting for scenes in the 1959 Movie Tiger Bay

Media related to Newport Transporter Bridge at Wikimedia Commons

External links

• Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge
• Photo Gallery
• BBC Wales coverage of the centenary of the Bridge
• On Google Maps
• Crow Point Festival – Celebrating the centenary of the Transporter Bridge
• Newport Transporter Bridge at Structurae
• Ferdinand's Flying Ferry - Newport Transporter Bridge - Your questions answered
• Newport City Council web site
• BBC Wales panoramic view of NTB
• A collection of photographs, documents and plans relating to the construction of the Newport Transporter Bridge, 1902-06