Cawood Bridge
Encyclopedia
Cawood Bridge is a swing bridge
which spans the River Ouse
(York) in North Yorkshire
, England
. Construction was authorized in 1870, with the formation of the Cawood Bridge bridge company. It was opened on 31 July 1872 to replace the ferry, and is located about half way between Naburn
and Selby
. It is the only bridge from the village of Cawood
that crosses the river.
The bridge is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council
cameras are installed to monitor traffic not adhering to the weight limit or red lights, and allow officials to see traffic in all directions. It is the policy of North Yorkshire County Council to prosecute any overweight vehicle, or vehicle jumping the red lights, caught on CCTV. Previous fines have been as much as £900.
Crossing vehicles used to be charged a toll, but this system has since been scrapped.
The bridge has experienced numerous problems in the past, due partly to its age, but mainly due to the increasing numbers of heavy goods vehicles and heavily laden farm vehicles which ignore the weight limit on the bridge. It has been plagued with issues such as the locking pin falling out of place, cracks forming in the supporting structure, and frequent jamming of the swing mechanism, which has in the past caused heavy traffic delays and massive tailbacks.
Later inspection discovered that the York end of the bridge was about to fall off due to three large cracks in one of the supporting steel plates, which ran the full length of the bridge. River traffic was halted, and new plates were fitted within hours, as a temporary measure.
Permanent repairs involved a steel plate, twice the thickness of the original, being fitted along the entire deck.
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
which spans the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
(York) in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Construction was authorized in 1870, with the formation of the Cawood Bridge bridge company. It was opened on 31 July 1872 to replace the ferry, and is located about half way between Naburn
Naburn
Naburn is a small village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the eastern side of the River Ouse about south of York. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 470...
and Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
. It is the only bridge from the village of Cawood
Cawood
Cawood is a large village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England that is notable as the finding-place of the Cawood sword....
that crosses the river.
The bridge is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council
Operations
Cawood Bridge has a weight limit of 7.5 tons. CCTVClosed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
cameras are installed to monitor traffic not adhering to the weight limit or red lights, and allow officials to see traffic in all directions. It is the policy of North Yorkshire County Council to prosecute any overweight vehicle, or vehicle jumping the red lights, caught on CCTV. Previous fines have been as much as £900.
Crossing vehicles used to be charged a toll, but this system has since been scrapped.
The bridge has experienced numerous problems in the past, due partly to its age, but mainly due to the increasing numbers of heavy goods vehicles and heavily laden farm vehicles which ignore the weight limit on the bridge. It has been plagued with issues such as the locking pin falling out of place, cracks forming in the supporting structure, and frequent jamming of the swing mechanism, which has in the past caused heavy traffic delays and massive tailbacks.
Close to collapse
In October 2003, the bridge was closed for a period of 5 days for urgent repair work, due to it being near to collapsing after a vehicle collided with a safety barrier.Later inspection discovered that the York end of the bridge was about to fall off due to three large cracks in one of the supporting steel plates, which ran the full length of the bridge. River traffic was halted, and new plates were fitted within hours, as a temporary measure.
Permanent repairs involved a steel plate, twice the thickness of the original, being fitted along the entire deck.