The Albert Bridge is a bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It spans the River Lagan

River Lagan

The River Lagan is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The River Lagan forms much of the border between County Antrim and County Down. It rises as a tiny fast...

 and is one of eight bridges in the city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

. It was completed in 1890 by Belfast city surveyor J C Bretland after two arches of the previous bridge suddenly collapsed in 1886. It is located close to the city centre

Belfast City Centre

Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...

 between East Bridge Street and the Albert Bridge Road.

History

In 1886, the first bridge ever built on the Albert Bridge site collapsed, causing a single fatality. A temporary wooden bridge was erected until the present day when the bridge was built. The present bridge was designed by Mr J. C. Bretland, the Borough Surveyor of Belfast at the time, and was constructed by Messrs Henry of Belfast on behalf of Belfast Corporation, at a cost of £36,500. All of the cast iron including the decorative lampposts were made in Derby by Andrew Handyside & Co

Andrew Handyside

Andrew Handyside and Company was an iron founder in Derby, England in the nineteenth century.-Biography:Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1805, Handyside worked in his uncle Charles Baird's engineering business in St. Petersburg before taking over the Brittania Foundry in 1848...

. It was opened in 1890 and named after Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor, who laid a foundation stone in 1889.

Restoration

In 1998 the first phase of work on the bridge was carried out by Roads Service, involving replacing, strengthening and waterproofing the concrete bridge deck. The second phase replaced corroded wrought iron structural members supporting the bridge deck with new structural steel members. The final phase, in autumn 2001, involved the removal of existing paint and rust and application of a new paint system for corrosion protection, which should ensure no repainting will be needed for the next 15 years. Floodlighting was also being installed. Total cost of restoration was about £1 million.

The original drawings and sketches of the bridge from 1888 had been passed to Roads Service from Belfast Corporation at the time of Local Government reorganisation in 1973. The drawings were used for information on the works connected with the bridge and passed to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland is situated in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a division within the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure ....

in 2001.