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Coordinates: 51°34′14″N 2°59′08″W / 51.57064°N 2.98556°W / 51.57064; -2.98556
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{{for|the vertical-lift bridge in Teesside|Tees Newport Bridge}}
{{short description|Historic bridge across the Usk in Wales, opened in 1906}}
{{short description|Historic bridge across the Usk in Wales, opened in 1906}}
⚫
{{for|the transporter bridge in Teesside|Tees Newport Bridge}}


{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
⚫
{{Infobox bridge
{{coord|51|34|14|N|2|59|9|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}
⚫
{{Infobox Bridge |
|image = Transporter Bridge, from Coronation Park.jpg
|image = Transporter Bridge, from Coronation Park.jpg
|bridge_name = Newport Transporter Bridge
|bridge_name = Newport Transporter Bridge
Line 11: Line 10:
|official_name = Newport Transporter Bridge
|official_name = Newport Transporter Bridge
|locale = [[Newport, Wales]]
|locale = [[Newport, Wales]]
|coordinates={{coord|51.57064|-2.98556|display=inline,title}}
|carries = Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians including buses and multi sized lorries.
|carries = Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians including buses and multi sized lorries.
|crosses = [[River Usk]]
|crosses = [[River Usk]]
|maint = [[Newport City Council]]
|maint = [[Newport City Council]]
|open = 12 September 1906
|heritage=Grade I|designer=[[Ferdinand Arnodin]]|open = 12 September 1906
|traffic =
|traffic =
|design = [[Transporter bridge]]
|design = [[Transporter bridge]]
|toll = Adult Single – £1<br>Adult Return – £1.50<br>Child Single – 50p<br>Child Return – £1.00<br>Day Ticket (''inc. unlimited trips on the gondola and walking across the top of the bridge'') – £4.00<ref>http://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/Transporter-Bridge/Visit.aspx</ref>
|toll = Adult Single – £1.50<br />Adult Return – £2.00<br />Child Single – 50p<br />Child Return – £1.00<br />Day Ticket (''inc. unlimited trips on the gondola and walking across the top of the bridge'') – £4.00<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/Transporter-Bridge/Visit.aspx|title = Visit}}</ref>
|mainspan = 196.56m (644.88 ft)
|mainspan = 196.56m (644.88 ft)
|length = 236m (774.28 ft)
|length = 236m (774.28 ft)
|width = Three cars (gondola)<br>(total width 108 ft / 33 m)
|width = Three cars (gondola)<br />(total width 108 ft / 33 m)
}}
}}


The '''Newport Transporter Bridge''' ({{lang-cy|Pont Gludo Casnewydd}}) is a [[transporter bridge]] that crosses the [[River Usk]] in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], [[South East Wales]]. The bridge is the lowest crossing on the River Usk. It is a Grade I [[Listed building|listed]] structure.
The '''Newport Transporter Bridge''' ({{langx|cy|Pont Gludo Casnewydd}}) is a [[transporter bridge]] that crosses the [[River Usk]] in [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], [[South East Wales]]. The bridge is the lowest crossing on the River Usk. It is a Grade I [[Listed building|listed]] structure.


It is one of fewer than 10 transporter bridges that remain in use worldwide; only a few dozen were ever built. It is one of only two operational transporter bridges in Britain, the other being the [[Tees Transporter Bridge]].
It is one of fewer than 10 transporter bridges that remain in use worldwide; only a few dozen were ever built. It is one of only two operational transporter bridges in Britain, the other being the [[Tees Transporter Bridge]].


==History==
==History==
The bridge was designed by [[France|French]] engineer [[Ferdinand Arnodin]]. It was built in 1906 and opened by [[Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar]], on 12 September 1906.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/5336618.stm
The bridge was designed by [[France|French]] engineer [[Ferdinand Arnodin]]. It was built in 1906 and opened by [[Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar]], on 12 September 1906.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/5336618.stm|title=City transporter bridge centenary|work=BBC News|access-date=17 August 2013|location=Newport|date=12 September 2006}}</ref> [[Newport Museum]] holds a silver [[cigar cutter]] which was presented to Viscount Tredegar on the day of the opening, as a memento of the occasion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/the_archive/now_and_then/12917471.NOW_AND_THEN__The_opening_of_the_Newport_Transporter_Bridge/ |title=Now and Then: The opening of the Newport Transporter Bridge|publisher=South Wales Argus|date=28 April 2015|access-date=3 September 2023}}</ref>
|title=City transporter bridge centenary
|publisher=BBC News
|accessdate=2013-08-17
|location=Newport
|date=12 September 2006
}}</ref>


== Design ==
[[Newport Museum]] holds a silver [[cigar cutter]] which was presented to Viscount Tredegar on the day of the opening, as a memento of the occasion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/the_archive/now_and_then/12917471.NOW_AND_THEN__The_opening_of_the_Newport_Transporter_Bridge/ |title=NOW AND THEN: The opening of the Newport Transporter Bridge (From South Wales Argus) |website=Southwalesargus.co.uk |date=2015-04-28 |accessdate=2016-09-18}}</ref>
⚫
The design was chosen because the river banks are very low at the desired crossing point (a few miles south of the [[Newport city centre|city centre]]) 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.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lofVAAAAMAAJ&q=%22transporter%20bridge%22%20%22popular%20mechanics%22&pg=RA1-PA60 |magazine=Popular Mechanics Magazine |title=Suspended Ferry Carries Traffic Across English River |year=1922 |page=60–61 |access-date=30 November 2023 |editor-last=Windsor |editor-first=Henry Haven |volume=37}}</ref> The river is too narrow for a [[swing bridge]] or a [[bascule bridge]] (drawbridge).<ref name=register>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/01/geeks_guide_newport_transporter_bridge/ |title=Is it a bridge? Is it a ferry? No, it's the Newport Transporter |last=Taylor |first=Alun |date=1 October 2021 |access-date=30 November 2023 |website=[[The Register]]}}</ref>

== 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 [[Newport city centre|city centre]]) 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.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lofVAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22transporter%20bridge%22%20%22popular%20mechanics%22&pg=RA1-PA60#v=onepage&q=&f=false |title=Popular Mechanics Magazine: Written So You Can Understand it |page=60 |website=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2016-09-18}}</ref>


==Principal dimensions==
==Principal dimensions==
A Corporation of Newport drawing dated December 1902 is calibrated in metres. The height of the towers is {{Convert|73.6|m|4 = 1}}, and the height to the underside of the main girder truss above the road level is {{Convert|49.97|m|abbr = on}}. The span between the centres of the towers is {{Convert|196.56|m|abbr = on}}, and the clearance between the towers is quoted as being {{Convert|180.44|m|abbr = on}}; however, including the cantilevered sections, the main girder truss gives the bridge an overall length of {{Convert|236|m|4 = 1|abbr = on}}. The distance between the centres of the anchorage caissons is {{Convert|471.06|m|4 = 1|abbr = on}}. Power to propel the transporter platform or gondola is provided by two {{Convert|35|hp|4 = 1|abbr = on}} electric motors, which in turn drive a large winch, situated in an elevated winding house at the eastern end of the bridge. This winch is sufficient to drive the gondola through its {{Convert|196.56|m|abbr = on}} total travel at a speed of {{Convert|3|m/s}}{{cn|date=August 2013}}.
A Corporation of Newport drawing dated December 1902 is calibrated in metres. The height of the towers is {{Convert|73.6|m|sigfig=4}}, and the height to the underside of the main girder truss above the road level is {{cvt|49.97|m}}. The span between the centres of the towers is {{cvt|196.56|m}}, and the clearance between the towers is quoted as being {{cvt|180.44|m|sigfig=3}}; however, including the cantilevered sections, the main girder truss gives the bridge an overall length of {{cvt|236|m|sigfig=4}}. The distance between the centres of the anchorage caissons is {{cvt|471.06|m|sigfig=5}}. Power to propel the transporter platform or gondola is provided by two {{cvt|35|hp|sigfig=3}} electric motors, which in turn drive a large winch, situated in an elevated winding house at the eastern end of the bridge. This winch is sufficient to drive the gondola through its {{cvt|196.56|m}} total travel at a speed of {{convert|3|m/s}}.<ref name=register />


⚫
When compared with [[Tees Transporter Bridge|Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge]], the Newport Transporter is {{cvt|5|m}} taller, but {{cvt|23|m}} less in overall length. It also utilizes approximately {{convert|1400|LT|ST|abbr=off}} of steel compared to {{convert|2600|LT|ST|abbr=on}} used to construct Middlesbrough's Transporter (not accounting for steel used in foundations or concrete anchors).<ref name=register /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/novel-transportation-bridge-in-grea/ |title=Novel Transportation Bridge in Great Britain |magazine=Scientific American |last=Coleman |first=F.&nbsp;C. |date=16 December 1911 |access-date=30 November 2023}}</ref> This difference in weight is mainly due to the Newport bridge making use of cables to support and induce tension into its structure to a far greater extent than the Middlesbrough bridge.
⚫
This is the oldest and largest of the three historic transporter bridges which remain in Britain, and also the largest of eight such bridges which remain worldwide).{{cn|date=August 2013}}


⚫
The bridge is a [[Listed building|Grade I listed structure]], its [[Cadw]] listing describing it as "the oldest and largest of the three historic transporter bridges which remain in Britain, and also the largest of eight such bridges which remain worldwide".<ref>{{Cadw|num=3076|desc=Newport Transporter Bridge|grade=I|access-date=3 September 2023}}</ref>
⚫
When compared with [[Tees Transporter Bridge|Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge]], the Newport Transporter is {{Convert|5|m|abbr = on}} taller, but {{Convert|23|m|abbr = on}} less in overall length. It also utilizes approximately {{Convert|1400|LT|abbr = off}} of steel compared to {{Convert|2600|LT|abbr = on}} used to construct Middlesbrough's Transporter (not accounting for steel used in foundations or concrete anchors){{cn|date=August 2013}}. This difference in weight is mainly due to the Newport bridge making use of cables to support and induce tension into its structure to a far greater extent than the Middlesbrough bridge.


== Other information ==
== Other information ==
Today, the bridge is considered an “iconic symbol” of the city of Newport, particularly as a mark of its industrial heritage.<ref> https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2010/09/newport_transporter_bridge.html</ref>
Today, the bridge is considered an “iconic symbol” of the city of Newport, particularly as a mark of its industrial heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2010/09/newport_transporter_bridge.html|title=BBC - Wales History: Newport Transporter Bridge}}</ref> As well as a working transport link, the bridge is also open as a tourist attraction – visitors can climb the towers and walk across the upper deck for a small charge. 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|millennium celebrations of 2000]], where fireworks were fired from its length, and has been featured in several movies 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.

As well as a working transport link, the bridge is also open as a tourist attraction – visitors can climb the towers and walk across the upper deck for a small charge.

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|millennium celebrations of 2000]], where fireworks were fired from its length, and has been featured in several movies 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.


===Refurbishment===
===Refurbishment===
The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of [[wear and tear]]. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995. Service was suspended again in December 2008 with the bridge facing a £2 million repair bill.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7824712.stm
The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of [[wear and tear]]. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995. Service was suspended again in December 2008 with the bridge facing a £2 million repair bill.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7824712.stm|title=Nine historic buildings get £385k|publisher=BBC Wales News|access-date=17 August 2013|location=Newport|date=13 January 2009}}</ref> £1.225 million was spent on refurbishment, financed by grants from the [[Welsh Government]], [[Newport City Council]] and [[Cadw]]. It re-opened on 30 July 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/8290205.Transporter_Bridge_to_re_open/|title=Transporter Bridge to re-open|publisher=[[South Wales Argus]]|date=25 July 2010| location=Newport|access-date=25 July 2010}}</ref> The bridge was closed on 16 February 2011, because of operational problems, but re-opened again on 4 June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=transporter.homepage |title=Newport Museums & Heritage Service : Homepage |website=Newport.gov.uk |access-date=2016-09-18}}</ref>
|title=Nine historic buildings get £385k
|publisher=BBC Wales News
|accessdate=2013-08-17
|location=Newport
|date=13 January 2009
}}</ref> £1.225 million was spent on refurbishment, financed by grants from the [[Welsh Government]], [[Newport City Council]] and [[Cadw]]. It re-opened on 30 July 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/8290205.Transporter_Bridge_to_re_open/
|title=Transporter Bridge to re-open
|publisher=[[South Wales Argus]]
|accessdate=2010-07-25
| location=Newport
| date=2010-07-25
}}</ref>

The bridge was closed on 16 February 2011, because of operational problems, but re-opened again on 4 June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=transporter.homepage |title=Newport Museums & Heritage Service : Homepage |website=Newport.gov.uk |accessdate=2016-09-18}}</ref>


===Appearances in popular media===
===Appearances in popular media===
The transporter bridge provided the setting for some scenes in the 1959 British crime drama film ''[[Tiger Bay (1959 film)|Tiger Bay]]'', which was set in Cardiff and therefore gave audiences the impression that the bridge was in Cardiff and not Newport. The bridge also appears in an early scene in the 1972 experimental film ''[[The Other Side of the Underneath]]'' by [[Jane Arden (director)|Jane Arden]]{{cn|date=June 2019}} and features extensively in the 1996 video for the song "Talk to Me" by Newport band [[60 Ft. Dolls]].<ref>{{youtube|19DPCAog4gI|60 Ft Dolls - Talk to Me (Version 1)}}</ref>
The transporter bridge provided the setting for some scenes in the 1959 British crime drama film ''[[Tiger Bay (1959 film)|Tiger Bay]]'', which was set in Cardiff and therefore gave audiences the impression that the bridge was in Cardiff and not Newport. The bridge also appears in an early scene in the 1972 experimental film ''[[The Other Side of the Underneath]]'' by [[Jane Arden (director)|Jane Arden]]{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} and features extensively in the 1996 video for the song "Talk to Me" by Newport band [[60 Ft. Dolls]].<ref>{{youtube|19DPCAog4gI|60 Ft Dolls - Talk to Me (Version 1)}}</ref>


==Visitor centre==
==Visitor centre==
The Visitor Centre is located on the west bank and features exhibits on the history of the bridge, its construction and other transporter bridges around the world. The centre has a painting of [[David Pearce (boxer)|David Pearce]], the former undefeated Welsh and [[List of British heavyweight boxing champions|British Heavyweight Boxing Champion]] 1983–1985. Pearce used to run up the steps of the Transporter Bridge during his training. The centre is open at weekends.<ref>http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/14901209.Campaigners_hope_to_put_Statue_honouring__Newport_s_Rocky__on_Gilligan_s_Island/?action=success#comment_17315903</ref>
The Visitor Centre is located on the west bank and features exhibits on the history of the bridge, its construction and other transporter bridges around the world. The centre has a painting of [[David Pearce (boxer)|David Pearce]], the former undefeated Welsh and [[List of British heavyweight boxing champions|British Heavyweight Boxing Champion]] 1983–1985. Pearce used to run up the steps of the Transporter Bridge during his training. The centre is generally open at weekends,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/14901209.Campaigners_hope_to_put_Statue_honouring__Newport_s_Rocky__on_Gilligan_s_Island/?action=success#comment_17315903|title = Campaigners hope to put statue honouring 'Newport's Rocky' on Gilligan's Island}}</ref> but it is currently closed until Summer 2024, while extensive restoration of the bridge structure is performed and a new visitor centre is constructed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/en/Transporter-Bridge/Transporter-Bridge.aspx|title = Newport Museums & Heritage Service: Transporter Bridge}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180px" heights="180px">
{{Gallery
|File:Newport.transporter.750pix.jpg|The bridge from the West bank to the North
Newport.transporter.750pix.jpg|The bridge from the West bank to the North
|File:transporter.3.750pix.jpg|The gondola in transit
transporter.3.750pix.jpg|The gondola in transit
|File:Gondola and pier, Newport Transporter Bridge.jpg|Gondola approaching the pier
Gondola and pier, Newport Transporter Bridge.jpg|Gondola approaching the pier
|File:Newport Transporter Bridge 051.JPG|Looking down onto the gondola
Newport Transporter Bridge 051.JPG|Looking down onto the gondola
|File:Main girder from inside, Newport Transporter Bridge.jpg|Main girder, from inside
Main girder from inside, Newport Transporter Bridge.jpg|Main girder, from inside
|File:Newport Transporter Bridge Walkway.jpg|Walkway on top of the bridge showing the pulley cable
Newport Transporter Bridge Walkway.jpg|Walkway on top of the bridge showing the pulley cable
Newport transporter bridge (Wonder Book of Engineering Wonders, 1931).jpg| Newport Transporter Bridge, 1931
}}
Newport Transporter Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 666383.jpg|The Transporter Bridge in 2008
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Newport Transporter Bridge}}
{{Commons category|Newport Transporter Bridge}}
*[http://www.fontb.org.uk/index.htm Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge]
*[http://www.fontb.org Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge]
*[http://www.fontb.org.uk/FONTB_Friends_of_Newport_Trans/fontb_friends_of_newport_trans.html Photo Gallery]
*[http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=transporter.transvisitor Newport Transport Bridge Visitor Centre]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120814141418/http://education.gtj.org.uk/en/blowup1/32360 Dimensioned blue-print drawing of Newport's Transporter Bridge]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120814141418/http://education.gtj.org.uk/en/blowup1/32360 Dimensioned blue-print drawing of Newport's Transporter Bridge]
⚫
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060714023101/http://www.crowpoint.co.uk/ Crow Point Festival] – Transporter Bridge centenary celebrations
*[http://local.google.co.uk/local?hl=en&t=k&ll=51.570828,-2.98562&spn=0.003001,0.007467 On Google Maps]
⚫
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060714023101/http://www.crowpoint.co.uk/ Crow Point Festival] – Celebrating the [[centenary]] of the Transporter Bridge
* {{Structurae|id=20002345|title=Newport Transporter Bridge}}
* {{Structurae|id=20002345|title=Newport Transporter Bridge}}
*[http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=transporter.whatsnew Newport City Council web site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081222143830/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/panoramics/pages/transporter1.shtml BBC Wales panoramic view of NTB]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070819071612/http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/26351 A collection of photographs, documents and plans relating to the construction of the Newport Transporter Bridge, 1902–06]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070819071612/http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/26351 A collection of photographs, documents and plans relating to the construction of the Newport Transporter Bridge, 1902–06]
*[http://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/Transporter-Bridge/Transporter-Bridge.aspx Newport Council page for the transporter bridge]
*[http://www.newport.gov.uk/heritage/Transporter-Bridge/Transporter-Bridge.aspx Newport Council page for the transporter bridge]
*[http://www.newportpast.com/transporter/index.php Newport's Transporter Bridge page on http://www.newportpast.com/]


{{River Usk crossings in Newport}}
{{River Usk crossings in Newport}}
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[[Category:Road bridges in Wales]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Wales]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1906]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1906]]
[[Category:Grade I listed bridges]]
[[Category:Grade I listed bridges in Wales]]
[[Category:Transporter bridges]]
[[Category:Transporter bridges]]
[[Category:Suspension bridges]]
[[Category:Suspension bridges in Wales]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Listed bridges in Wales]]
[[Category:Culture in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Culture in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Newport, Wales]]

Latest revision as of 22:58, 7 November 2024

For the vertical-lift bridge in Teesside, see Tees Newport Bridge.

Newport Transporter Bridge
The bridge viewed from Coronation Park
Coordinates51°34′14″N 2°59′08″W / 51.57064°N 2.98556°W / 51.57064; -2.98556
CarriesMotor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians including buses and multi sized lorries.
CrossesRiver Usk
LocaleNewport, Wales
Official nameNewport Transporter Bridge
Maintained byNewport City Council
Heritage statusGrade I
Characteristics
DesignTransporter bridge
Total length236m (774.28 ft)
WidthThree cars (gondola)
(total width 108 ft / 33 m)
Longest span196.56m (644.88 ft)
History
DesignerFerdinand Arnodin
Opened12 September 1906
Statistics
TollAdult Single – £1.50
Adult Return – £2.00
Child Single – 50p
Child Return – £1.00
Day Ticket (inc. unlimited trips on the gondola and walking across the top of the bridge) – £4.00[1]
Location
Map

The Newport Transporter Bridge (Welsh: Pont Gludo Casnewydd) is a transporter bridge that crosses the River Usk in Newport, South East Wales. The bridge is the lowest crossing on the River Usk. It is a Grade I listed structure.

It is one of fewer than 10 transporter bridges that remain in use worldwide; only a few dozen were ever built. It is one of only two operational transporter bridges in Britain, the other being the Tees Transporter Bridge.

History

[edit]

The bridge was designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin. It was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, on 12 September 1906.[2] Newport Museum holds a silver cigar cutter which was presented to Viscount Tredegar on the day of the opening, as a memento of the occasion.[3]

Design

[edit]

The design was chosen because the river banks are very low at the desired crossing point (a few miles south of the city centre) 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.[4] The river is too narrow for a swing bridge or a bascule bridge (drawbridge).[5]

Principal dimensions

[edit]

A Corporation of Newport drawing dated December 1902 is calibrated in metres. The height of the towers is 73.6 metres (241.5 ft), and the height to the underside of the main girder truss above the road level is 49.97 m (163.9 ft). The span between the centres of the towers is 196.56 m (644.9 ft), and the clearance between the towers is quoted as being 180.44 m (592 ft); however, including the cantilevered sections, the main girder truss gives the bridge an overall length of 236 m (774.3 ft). The distance between the centres of the anchorage caissons is 471.06 m (1,545.5 ft). Power to propel the transporter platform or gondola is provided by two 35 hp (26.1 kW) electric motors, which in turn drive a large winch, situated in an elevated winding house at the eastern end of the bridge. This winch is sufficient to drive the gondola through its 196.56 m (644.9 ft) total travel at a speed of 3 metres per second (9.8 ft/s).[5]

When compared with Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge, the Newport Transporter is 5 m (16 ft) taller, but 23 m (75 ft) less in overall length. It also utilizes approximately 1,400 long tons (1,600 short tons) of steel compared to 2,600 long tons (2,900 short tons) used to construct Middlesbrough's Transporter (not accounting for steel used in foundations or concrete anchors).[5][6] This difference in weight is mainly due to the Newport bridge making use of cables to support and induce tension into its structure to a far greater extent than the Middlesbrough bridge.

The bridge is a Grade I listed structure, its Cadw listing describing it as "the oldest and largest of the three historic transporter bridges which remain in Britain, and also the largest of eight such bridges which remain worldwide".[7]

Other information

[edit]

Today, the bridge is considered an “iconic symbol” of the city of Newport, particularly as a mark of its industrial heritage.[8] As well as a working transport link, the bridge is also open as a tourist attraction – visitors can climb the towers and walk across the upper deck for a small charge. 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 movies 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.

Refurbishment

[edit]

The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of wear and tear. Following a £3 million refurbishment, it reopened in 1995. Service was suspended again in December 2008 with the bridge facing a £2 million repair bill.[9] £1.225 million was spent on refurbishment, financed by grants from the Welsh Government, Newport City Council and Cadw. It re-opened on 30 July 2010.[10] The bridge was closed on 16 February 2011, because of operational problems, but re-opened again on 4 June.[11]

[edit]

The transporter bridge provided the setting for some scenes in the 1959 British crime drama film Tiger Bay, which was set in Cardiff and therefore gave audiences the impression that the bridge was in Cardiff and not Newport. The bridge also appears in an early scene in the 1972 experimental film The Other Side of the Underneath by Jane Arden[citation needed] and features extensively in the 1996 video for the song "Talk to Me" by Newport band 60 Ft. Dolls.[12]

Visitor centre

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The Visitor Centre is located on the west bank and features exhibits on the history of the bridge, its construction and other transporter bridges around the world. The centre has a painting of David Pearce, the former undefeated Welsh and British Heavyweight Boxing Champion 1983–1985. Pearce used to run up the steps of the Transporter Bridge during his training. The centre is generally open at weekends,[13] but it is currently closed until Summer 2024, while extensive restoration of the bridge structure is performed and a new visitor centre is constructed.[14]

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  • The bridge from the West bank to the North
    The bridge from the West bank to the North
  • The gondola in transit
    The gondola in transit
  • Gondola approaching the pier
    Gondola approaching the pier
  • Looking down onto the gondola
    Looking down onto the gondola
  • Main girder, from inside
    Main girder, from inside
  • Walkway on top of the bridge showing the pulley cable
    Walkway on top of the bridge showing the pulley cable
  • Newport Transporter Bridge, 1931
    Newport Transporter Bridge, 1931
  • The Transporter Bridge in 2008
    The Transporter Bridge in 2008

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Visit".
  2. ^ "City transporter bridge centenary". BBC News. Newport. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Now and Then: The opening of the Newport Transporter Bridge". South Wales Argus. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  4. ^ Windsor, Henry Haven, ed. (1922). "Suspended Ferry Carries Traffic Across English River". Popular Mechanics Magazine. Vol. 37. p. 60–61. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Taylor, Alun (1 October 2021). "Is it a bridge? Is it a ferry? No, it's the Newport Transporter". The Register. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. ^ Coleman, F. C. (16 December 1911). "Novel Transportation Bridge in Great Britain". Scientific American. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  7. ^ Cadw. "Newport Transporter Bridge (Grade I) (3076)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  8. ^ "BBC - Wales History: Newport Transporter Bridge".
  9. ^ "Nine historic buildings get £385k". Newport: BBC Wales News. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Transporter Bridge to re-open". Newport: South Wales Argus. 25 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Newport Museums & Heritage Service : Homepage". Newport.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  12. ^ 60 Ft Dolls - Talk to Me (Version 1) on YouTube
  13. ^ "Campaigners hope to put statue honouring 'Newport's Rocky' on Gilligan's Island".
  14. ^ "Newport Museums & Heritage Service: Transporter Bridge".
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