| Victoria Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Crosses | River Avon |
| Locale | Bath, England |
| Owner | Bath and North East Somerset Council |
| Architect | James Dredge |
| Engineering design | Motley and Dredge |
| Design | cable-stayed double cantilever |
| Material | Bath stone and iron |
| Total length | 45.7 metres (150 ft) |
| Width | 5.8 metres (19 ft) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Construction begin | August 1836 |
| Construction end | December 1836 |
| Preceded by | Midland Bridge |
| Followed by | Destructer Bridge |
| Heritage status | Grade II* listed building |
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Victoria Bridge
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Victoria Bridge in Bath, England was built in 1836 across the River Avon. The bridge has been recognised as a Grade II* listed building.[1]
The bridge is an important example of a cable-stayed bridge which initially carried horses and carts but later carried cyclists and pedestrians until its closure on safety grounds in 2011.
The cable-stayed double cantilever bridge, built by Motley and Dredge, has a span of 45.7 metres (150 ft) with the cables slung from Bath stone towers. The road deck is joined to the cables by iron rods, which, unusually, are not vertical.[1] James Dredge who was a brewer in Bath designed the bridge to carry beer from his brewery across the river without using a ferry or having to detour through the city centre.[2] Construction cost £1760.[3] He patented the 'Taper principle' based on using chains rather than cables, as is more common in suspension bridges.[2] Dredge's bridge design was considered "a very significant yet relatively short-lived phase in suspension bridge development".[4]
The main span chains have 155 links each of which is 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long and supports two wrought iron hangers. The deck is made of wooden planks.[3]
Initially the bridge was used for horse drawn carts but later only carried bicycles and pedestrians.
In October 2010 the bridge was closed to users,[5] because of concerns about the safety of the beams and cables.[6] This caused criticism from cycling groups in the city.[7] It was reopened later in October 2010,[8] but then closed again.[7]
Further inspections were carried out by a structural engineer in September 2011.[9]
In November 2011 the tow-path was closed and then the navigation itself was closed to all boats.[6]
Restoration costs have been estimated at £3 million.[10] Emergency work to prop up either side of the bridge and apply temporary strapping took place in November 2011.[11] Further work is planned to create a temporary truss to support the bridge. Details of the full restoration work have not yet been published but it is planned to be completed by the winter of 2013.[12]