Newport Transporter Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Newport Transporter Bridge (Welsh
: Pont Gludo Casnewydd) is a transporter bridge
that crosses the River Usk
in Newport
, South Wales
. 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 remain in use worldwide.
The bridge is the crossing lowest on the River Usk.
) 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). The transporter platform or gondola travels the 645 feet (196.6 m) between the towers at ten feet (three metres) per second, powered from the engine room. This Transporter Bridge is the largest of the eight which remain worldwide, and the oldest of its type in Britain.
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 movie
s and television shows. It was the centre-piece 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, the fare for cars (as of January 2011) being £1. The walkway across the top of the bridge structure is open to the public on bank holiday
s.
. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995 and operated until late 2007. Service was suspended again at the end of 2007 in order to carry out a further £1.225 million refurbishment, re-opening on 30 July 2010.
The bridge was closed on 16 February 2011, because of operational problems, but re-opened again on 4 June.
and also featured in an early scene in the 1972 experimental film The Other Side of the Underneath
by Jane Arden
which was reissued on DVD and Blu-ray by the British Film Institute
in 2009.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Pont Gludo Casnewydd) is a transporter bridge
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
that crosses the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It is a Grade I listed structure. Designed by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
engineer Ferdinand Arnodin
Ferdinand Arnodin
Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin was a French engineer and industrialist born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Rhône and deceased in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire in Loiret. Specialising in cableway transporters, he is regarded as the inventor of the transporter bridge, having been the first to patent the idea in 1887...
, 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
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
concept, of which only eight remain in use worldwide.
The bridge is the crossing lowest on the River Usk.
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 centreNewport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
) where an ordinary bridge would need a very long approach ramp to attain sufficient height to allow ships to pass under, and a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
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). The transporter platform or gondola travels the 645 feet (196.6 m) between the towers at ten feet (three metres) per second, powered from the engine room. This Transporter Bridge is the largest of the eight which remain worldwide, and the oldest of its type in Britain.
Other information
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
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
crosses the River Usk and route 47 begins.
It was the focal point of the local millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations of 2000, where fireworks were fired from its length, and has been featured in several movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and television shows. It was the centre-piece 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, the fare for cars (as of January 2011) being £1. The walkway across the top of the bridge structure is open to the public on bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
s.
Refurbishment
The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of wear and tearWear and tear
Wear and tear is damage that naturally and inevitably occurs as a result of normal wear or aging. It is used in a legal context for such areas as warranty contracts from manufacturers, which usually stipulate that damage due to wear and tear will not be covered.Wear and tear is a form of...
. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995 and operated until late 2007. Service was suspended again at the end of 2007 in order to carry out a further £1.225 million refurbishment, re-opening on 30 July 2010.
The bridge was closed on 16 February 2011, because of operational problems, but re-opened again on 4 June.
Appearances in popular media
The bridge provided the setting for some scenes in the 1959 British crime drama film Tiger BayTiger Bay (film)
Tiger Bay is a 1959 British crime drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and produced and co-written by John Hawkesworth. It stars John Mills as a police superintendent who investigates a murder, his daughter Hayley Mills, in her first major film role, as a girl who witnesses the murder, and Horst...
and also featured in an early scene in the 1972 experimental film The Other Side of the Underneath
The Other Side of the Underneath
The Other Side of the Underneath is a 1972 British feature film written and directed by Jane Arden and starring Sheila Allen, Liz Danciger, Penny Slinger, Ann Lynn, and Suzanka Fraey . Other members of the Holocaust Theatre Company appear in the film. It is the only British feature film in the...
by Jane Arden
Jane Arden
Jane Arden was an internationally syndicated daily newspaper comic strip which ran from 1927 to 1968. The title character was the original "spunky girl reporter," actively seeking to infiltrate and expose criminal activity rather than just report on its consequences and served as a prototype for...
which was reissued on DVD and Blu-ray by the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
in 2009.
Gallery
See also
- Middlesbrough Transporter BridgeMiddlesbrough Transporter BridgeThe Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge or Tees Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from...
- a similar bridge in the North East of England - Transporter bridgeTransporter bridgeA transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
- a summary of transporter bridges in general - List of bridges in Wales
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
- 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
- http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=transporter.homepage Local council page on the transporter bridge.
- Transporter Bridge, MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Transporter BridgeThe Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge or Tees Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from...
See also Newport Bridge in Middlesbrough