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Silver Jubilee Bridge |
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The construction of
the Silver Jubilee Bridge was started on April 25th1956 and was opened on
July 21st 1961 by H.R.H.
Princess Alexandra of Kent.
In 1975 work was started to widen the bridge and this was done by
Consultants, Mott Hay and Anderson. Contractor were a consortium of
Leonard Fairclough and Redpath Dorman Long. The extended bridge was
opened by The Minister of Transport on 24th March 1977. At 330m the bridge
is one of the largest steel arch bridges in the world.
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Silver Jubilee Bridge |
Transporter Bridge |
In 1947 the Transporter Bridge
was 42 years old and it was obviously inadequate for present
day needs, it was decided that a new bridge was needed.
Meanwhile the Transporter Bridge continued to transport
vehicles and people across the Mersey.
In 1958 two million passengers, a hundred and fifty thousand
private vehicles and a hundred thousand commercial vehicles
were transported across the Mersey. In the same year Queen
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, inspected models and plans and
viewed the site of the new bridge before crossing the river to
Runcorn on the old Transporter Bridge. The Transporter Bridge
closed in 1961 the day after the new bridge was opened.
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The construction of
the Silver Jubilee Bridge was started on April 25th1956
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Early view around St Mary's Vicarage, Widnes
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Skewback pier under construction
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Bridge arch rises from Runcorn
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A view from Mersey Road, Runcorn |
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Nearing completion, the decking under
construction
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Opening
ceremony by H.R.H.
Princess Alexandra of Kent.
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Thank
you to Dave Thompson for allowing the use of photos and
text from his book 'Bridging us Together' . Dave Thompson's
book is a comprehensive story of the construction of the
Bridge with many early photos. The book is available from Curiosity Book Shop Runcorn, Halton Libraries and the Information Centre, Church
Street, Runcorn.
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