The Tamar Bridge during widening and strengthening work, 1999

The Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge in southwest England carrying traffic between Devon and Cornwall. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom. In 2001 it became the world's first suspension bridge to be widened (from three to five lanes) using cantilevers, and the world's first bridge to undergo strengthening and widening work while remaining open to traffic. The five lanes are divided as follows: three lanes carry the A38 trunk road, the fourth is reserved for eastbound local traffic and the fifth for pedestrians and cyclists. Previously all traffic merged and shared the three lanes. The Tamar Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall, England. ... The Tamar Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall, England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... A suspension bridge is a type of bridge that has been made since ancient times. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ... A38 passing under M50 in Worcestershire The A38 is a major trunk road in England. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Look up Pedestrian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Construction of the Tamar Bridge began in July 1959. Before this, the lowest road crossing of the River Tamar was Gunnislake New Bridge at the village of Gunnislake. This seven-arched granite bridge was built in the early 16th century (c. 1520). It is still in use today but it is only wide enough to carry one lane of traffic. Before the Tamar Bridge was opened, most car drivers wishing to travel between Saltash (on the Cornish side) and the Devon city of Plymouth used car ferries. Today the Tamar Bridge carries approximately 40 000 vehicles every day. It is co-owned by Plymouth City Council and Cornwall County Council, and is managed by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee. A toll of GBP1.00 per car is charged when driving from Cornwall into Devon. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tamar is a river in south western England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). ... Gunnislake (or Lynngonna, its Cornish name) is the first village in Cornwall. ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... mary elline m. ... Location within the British Isles Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town in Cornwall, UK. It has a population of about 16,000. ... Plymouth is a city in the southwest of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... The Pride of Rotterdam, One of the P&O Ferriess Flagships operating the Hull-Rotterdam Route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... The Torpoint Ferry is a car and pedestrian ferry crossing the Hamoaze, a stretch of water at the mouth of the River Tamar, between Keyham in Plymouth and Torpoint in Cornwall. ... Paying toll on passing a bridge. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ...

The Tamar Bridge is located above the Hamoaze, and runs parallel to Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge (sometimes referred to as the Brunel Bridge) which opened in 1859 and is considered to be one of his greatest railway achievements. Both bridges offer wonderful views of the Tamar Valley and Tamar Estuary. The Tamar, Lynher and Tavy Valleys form one of England's thirty-seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Hamoaze is an estuarine stretch of water at the point where the tidal River Tamar, the River Tavy, and the River Lynher enter Plymouth Sound. ... Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ... The Royal Albert bridge in 1859 The Royal Albert bridge seen from Saltash railway station Royal Albert Bridge seen from the Tamar Bridge. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... Tamar Valley may refer to: Tamar Valley, England: located in Devon and Cornwall in the south of England, UK Tamar Valley, Tasmania: located on the Tamar River in the north of Tasmania, Australia This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... The River Lynher flows through Cornwall, passing St Germans and enters Plymouth Sound at the Hamoaze. ... The Tavy is a river on Dartmoor, Devon, England It is a tributary of the River Tamar and has as its own tributaries the: Collybrooke River Burn River Wallabrooke River Lumburn River Walkham. ... An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England (AONB) is an area in England specially designated by the Countryside Agency. ...

Panorama of the Royal Albert Bridge and the Tamar Bridge

Download high resolution version (3840x524, 691 KB)A panoramic photograph taken from the Tamar Bridge between Cornwall and Devon, England, showing the Tamar Valley and the Royal Albert Bridge (aka the Brunel Bridge). ... Download high resolution version (3840x524, 691 KB)A panoramic photograph taken from the Tamar Bridge between Cornwall and Devon, England, showing the Tamar Valley and the Royal Albert Bridge (aka the Brunel Bridge). ...

Construction of the Tamar Bridge

Why it was needed

In the 1950s (and for centuries before this) road users wishing to drive from Saltash to Plymouth had two main choices. They could take a long detour north either to Gunnislake New Bridge (a one-lane medieval bridge), or even further north to the land-link between Devon and Cornwall. Or they could cross the river by ferry. For centuries there was a ferry link between the two counties just downstream from the current bridge, but the ferries did not have sufficient capacity to transport large numbers of vehicles. The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ...

After failing to secure government funding for a new road bridge, Plymouth City Council and Cornwall County Council applied for permission to operate a toll bridge for which they received Royal assent in 1957. 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Construction

The Tamar Bridge was the first major suspension bridge to be constructed in the UK after the Second World War. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the UK at that time. Its central span measures 335m (1100ft). A suspension bridge is a type of bridge that has been made since ancient times. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

The bridge was constructed by Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company, and building work began in July 1959. It had a concrete deck, and was capable of carrying lorries up to 38 tonnes. The construction cost over GBP1.5 million, and the bridge opened to traffic in October 1961. H.M. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother officially opened the bridge on 26 April 1962. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Concrete is a construction material that consists, in its most common form, of Portland cement, construction aggregate (generally gravel and sand) and water. ... Lorry Look up Lorry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Can mean: A truck, in the sense of a commercial large goods vehicle. ... A tonne (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of weight. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite; later Queen Elizabeth; 4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was the Queen Consort of King George VI from 1936 until his death in 1952. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

Tamar Bridge in use

The bridge was three lanes wide (until 2001, see below). Local traffic had to merge with traffic from the A38 trunk road, which runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire (approximately 300 miles (490km)). The point at which the two streams of traffic merged to cross the bridge into Devon was a notorious accident black spot. 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A38 passing under M50 in Worcestershire The A38 is a major trunk road in England. ... Map sources for Bodmin at grid reference SX074667 The town of Bodmin lies in the centre of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, along the western edge of Bodmin Moor. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... This page is about the town of Mansfield in England. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... The result of excessive speed, this cement truck rolls over into the front garden of a house. ...

In 1961, approximately 4000 vehicles used the Tamar Bridge each day. This had dramatically increased by 1990s. In 1998 the hourly rate during the morning rush hour was 2500 vehicles. The average weekday saw 38 200 vehicles cross the bridge and the summer weekday flow was even higher at 42 900 (the Tamar Bridge is an important tourist route into Cornwall). In contrast, the Torpoint ferry link could transport a maximum of 300 vehicles per hour. (See [1]) The Torpoint Ferries operate between the Cornish town of Torpoint and the Devon city of Plymouth; this is more southerly crossing than the Tamar Bridge, linking Torpoint and the Rame Peninsula to Devon. As such it is not in competition with the Tamar Bridge, in fact the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee manage the bridge, and revenue from its tolls subsidise the Torpoint ferries. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... See also 1990s, the band Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Location within the British Isles Torpoint (Cornish: Penntorr) is a town in the far South East of Cornwall, England, separated from the City of Plymouth by a stretch of water referred to as the Hamoaze, which itself is the mouth of the River Tamar. ... Location within the British Isles Torpoint (Cornish: Penntorr) is a town in the far South East of Cornwall, England, separated from the City of Plymouth by a stretch of water referred to as the Hamoaze, which itself is the mouth of the River Tamar. ... Plymouth is a city in the southwest of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... The Rame Peninsula (pronounced ) is a peninsula in south-east Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. ... The Torpoint Ferry is a car and pedestrian ferry crossing the Hamoaze, a stretch of water at the mouth of the River Tamar, between Keyham in Plymouth and Torpoint in Cornwall. ...

Widening and strengthening

Why this was necessary

Close-up of the cantilever platforms being added to the Tamar Bridge during the strengthening and widening project, 1999

In the late 1990s, after nearly four decades of use, it was found that the Tamar Bridge would not be able to meet a new European Union directive that bridges should be capable of carrying lorries up to 40 tonnes. In fact, the concrete deck had deteriorated so much that the weight limit for vehicles crossing bridge was in danger of being reduced to 17 tonnes. It was agreed that this restriction would damage the local economy, so the bridge needed to be strengthened or replaced. The Tamar Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall, England. ... The Tamar Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall, England. ... See also 1990s, the band Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... A directive is a legislative act of the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. ... Lorry Look up Lorry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Can mean: A truck, in the sense of a commercial large goods vehicle. ... A tonne (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of weight. ... Concrete is a construction material that consists, in its most common form, of Portland cement, construction aggregate (generally gravel and sand) and water. ...

It was estimated that building an alternative river crossing would cost in excess of GBP300 million. Once a viable strengthening scheme was proposed, the idea of building a new bridge was abandoned due to the high cost. ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ...

The main problem with strengthening the Tamar Bridge was that since it catered for around 40 000 vehicles a day, closing it for the duration was not a viable option. An engineer proposed temporarily adding cantilever platforms to the sides of the bridge to accommodate traffic while the main deck was strengthened. Once this revolutionary technique had been accepted, it was soon decided that these two extra lanes should be permanent additions to the bridge in order to increase the number of lanes from three to five. Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ...

This additional capacity was not expected to encourage a large increase in the number of vehicles using the Tamar Bridge. The A38 passes through the three-lane Saltash Tunnel on the Cornish side of the bridge (this acts as a subterranean bypass for Saltash and opened in 1988). The tunnel was expected to regulate the amount of traffic using the bridge despite the increased capacity. The real benefit of these extra lanes would be to make the Tamar Bridge safer and more pleasant for all types of traffic. Pedestrians and cyclists would be safer since they were properly separated from all motor vehicles. Also, local traffic eastbound from Saltash would no longer have to merge with the A38, eliminating a notorious accident black spot. A38 passing under M50 in Worcestershire The A38 is a major trunk road in England. ... Bypass routes are a type of bannered highway usually used when the main route of the highway goes through a town and an alternate route of the same highway goes around the highway. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A38 passing under M50 in Worcestershire The A38 is a major trunk road in England. ... The result of excessive speed, this cement truck rolls over into the front garden of a house. ...

Progress of the project

The principal designer of the strengthening and widening of the Tamar Bridge was Hyder Consulting Ltd, and the principal contractor was Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd (who originally built the bridge). The overall cost was approximately GBP34 million (a fraction of the estimated GBP300 million for a new bridge). This was funded from the revenue from tolls paid to cross the Tamar Bridge into Devon. ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ...

Work began on the Tamar Bridge in March 1999 and was completed, one month behind schedule, in December 2001. At one point the project was three months behind schedule. The delays were due both to an embargo on road works for the total solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 which saw tourists flock to Cornwall, one of the few areas of the UK in the path of totality, and also due to extremely bad weather during the winter of 1999/2000. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ...

The improved bridge was fully opened to traffic on 20 December 2001 (although it was never fully closed, in fact during peak hours every effort was made to keep three lanes open). The Tamar Bridge was officially reopened by Princess Anne on 26 April 2002—forty years to the day after it was first officially opened. December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Princess Anne, Princess Royal, (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Laurence; formerly Mountbatten-Windsor, Phillips; born Windsor, 15 August 1950), is a member of the British Royal Family and the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. She is the seventh holder of the title Princess Royal, and is currently ninth in... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

How it was strengthened and widened

The Tamar Bridge originally had a concrete deck. This had degraded so seriously over its four decades of use that rather than simply being reinforced it was entirely replaced by an orthotropic steel deck (i.e. a deck formed from steel plates supported underneath by longitudinal ribs or stiffeners). The members were also strengthened by the addition of steelwork, and 18 new diagonal cable stays were fitted. The two new cantilever lanes were added to the bridge before the old concrete deck was replaced so as to be available to diverted traffic. At all times during the project, the importance of maintaining the flow of traffic over the bridge was emphasised. Even during construction work the Tamar Bridge served approximately 40 000 vehicles a week. Concrete is a construction material that consists, in its most common form, of Portland cement, construction aggregate (generally gravel and sand) and water. ... Fabricating an orthotropic deck section An orthotropic bridge or orthotropic deck is one whose deck material is an integral part of the bridges load-bearing structure. ... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is sometimes described as a sea of electrons. ... 6 or 15cm outside diameter, oil-cooled cables, traversing the Grand Coulee Dam throughout. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ...

When modifying suspension bridges engineers have to be constantly aware of the distribution of weight. At first, steel may sound like an unlikely choice of construction material for the replacement deck, especially since the bridge will have to support five lanes of steel deck instead of the original three of concrete. However, even with the replacement steel deck and the addition of two cantilever lanes, the new bridge weighs only 25 tonnes more than the original. A suspension bridge is a type of bridge that has been made since ancient times. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ... A tonne (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of weight. ...

The new steel deck is formed from 82 orthotropic panels. Each panel weighs 20 tonnes, and measures 15m by 6m (approximately 49ft by 20ft). They were constructed in Darlington, County Durham by Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd and driven nearly 400 miles (over 600km) to the Tamar Bridge and welded together on site. A tonne (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of weight. ... Statistics Population: 98,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ289147 Administration District: Darlington Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: County Durham Historic county: County Durham Services Police force: Durham Constabulary Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone Post town: DARLINGTON Postal... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ...

Worldwide recognition

The Tamar Bridge is the world's first suspension bridge to be widened using cantilevers, and the world's first bridge to be widened and strengthened while remaining open to traffic. This innovative engineering project has received many awards and its place in the annals of engineering is assured. A suspension bridge is a type of bridge that has been made since ancient times. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ...

The Tamar Bridge strengthening and widening project was:

• the winner of the highly prestigious British Construction Industry Civil Engineering Award for 2002 [2]. The BCIAs are widely considered to be one of the highest honours in the industry.
• the winner of the Historic Structures category (30 years or older) of the Institution of Civil Engineers Awards 2002 [3]
• one of eight finalists for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award 2002 [4].

Engineers from around the world have been interested in the project. For example, Bill Moreau, the chief engineer for the New York State Bridge Authority USA, has visited the newly reopened Tamar Bridge to examine the project with a view to adapting it for some of New York's aging stock of suspension bridges. The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ... The Prime Minister is in practice the most important political office in the United Kingdom. ... The New York State Bridge Authority was created on March 31, 1932 to finance the construction of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, which crosses the Hudson River, connecting the City of Hudson and the Village of Catskill in New York. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

A focus for protest

As a recognisable symbol of the local area, as well as the main road connection between Cornwall and the rest of England and the UK, the Tamar Bridge is often used for a focus for protests or charity events. Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... A charitable organization (also known as a charity) is a trust, company or unincorporated association established for charitable purposes only. ...

Local commercial radio station Pirate FM (named for the history of sea pirates, it's not an illegal pirate radio station) held a charity fundraiser in April 2002, which involved redecorating the newly reopened Tamar Bridge. They hung a 563m (1848 ft) clothesline along the entire span of the bridge, and decked it out with 1000 pairs of underwear including knickers, panties, bloomers and thongs. Commercial Radio Hong Kong is one of the two commercial radio broadcasting company in Hong Kong (the other being Metro Radio). ... Pirate FM is the Independent Local Radio station for Cornwall and West Devon. ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term pirate radio lacks a specific universal interpretation. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

In March 1998, after the closure of Europe's last tin mine South Crofty in Cornwall (which has since reopened), campaigners trying to raise the profile of Cornwall's economic crisis encouraged commuters to pay the £1.00 toll in pennies. Since the bridge serves 2500 vehicles an hour in peak times, any scheme that slows down the process of paying tolls is likely to cause long tailbacks and make the news. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... European redirects here. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... // Introduction Cornwall has a strong heritage of mining history, and the areas around Camborne, Pool and Redruth are synonymous with the industry. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom Inflation 2. ... A variety of low value coins, including an Irish 2p piece and many U.S. pennies. ...

On 23 January 2004, four protesters climbed onto the gantry over the Tamar Bridge to highlight the work of the group Fathers 4 Justice who promote the rights of fathers in custody disputes. Similar protests for male custody rights in 2004 have also taken place on cranes next to Exeter Crown Court (in Devon) and next to Tower Bridge, London. January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Custody can refer to: Child custody Police custody (Arrest) Custody account, see either Custodian bank or Clearing house (finance) Banking) Category: ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Crown Court and County Court in Oxford. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Tower Bridge is a bascule bridge in London, over the River Thames. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ...

The bridge has unusually become such a cultural focus for its surrounding areas, including Plymouth and parts of Cornwall, that references to the bridge have often found their way into local expressions. Indeed, references to bridges in Plymouth circle almost exclusively around the bridge itself. The site has, over the years, become a focal point of many wishing to end their own life, possibly due to the fact that the bridge covers an isolated part of the 6km long Wolseley Road and the River Tamar itself, making bodies difficult to find. Many expressions, for example, "Go jump in the Tamar!" as a euphemism for "Go away!", have developed around this. The Tamar is a river in south western England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). ...

External links

• The images in this article were taken by Tony Tapp and are used with permission
• Google image search for Tamar Bridge

• Plymouth City Council
• Cornwall County Council

• Official Tamar Bridge website
• Official Torpoint Ferry website

• The Tamar Bridge Act 1998
• From the Select Committee on the Tamar Bridge Bill (widening and strengthening)

• Hyder Consulting Ltd
• Cleveland Bridge Ltd

• The British Construction Industry Awards
• Institution of Civil Engineers
• Better Public Building Awards

Coordinates: 50°24′29.29″N, 04°12′12.20″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...