Tees Transporter Bridge

Tees Transporter Bridge
Tees Transporter Bridge
Carries	Motor vehicles A178 road Pedestrians
Crosses	River Tees
Locale	Middlesbrough, England
Official name	Tees Transporter Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Transporter Bridge
Material	steel, concrete
Longest span	851 ft (259 m)
Clearance below	160 ft (49 m)
History
Constructed by	Sir William Arrol & Co.
Opened	17 October 1911
Statistics
Toll	Vehicles (<3 tons): £1.30 (1 bay) Pedestrians and Cyclists: 60p

The Tees Transporter Bridge, often referred to as the Middlesbrough 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 the bridge, across the river in 90 seconds. The gondola can carry 200 people, 9 cars, or 6 cars and one minibus. It carries the A178 Middlesbrough to Hartlepool road. Locally the bridge is often referred to simply as 'the Transporter'.

The idea of a transporter bridge across the River Tees was first mooted in 1872 when Charles Smith, Manager of the Hartlepool Iron Works, submitted a scheme to Middlesbrough Corporation. However the scheme was not pursued and it would not be until the new century that the idea of a transporter bridge across the river would again be revisited. Following a 1907 Act of Parliament the Bridge was built at a cost of £68,026 6s 8d (equivalent to £6,490,000 in 2015 values), by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow between 1910 and 1911 to replace the 'Hugh Bell' and 'Erimus' steam ferry services. A transporter bridge was chosen because Parliament ruled that the new scheme of crossing the river had to avoid affecting the river navigation. The foundation stones, made of Aberdeen granite, were laid by Mayor of Middlesbrough Thomas Gibson-Poole and Alderman Joseph McLauchlan, the initiator of the transporter bridge scheme.

The opening ceremony on 17 October 1911 was performed by Prince Arthur of Connaught. During World War II the superstructure of the bridge was hit by a bomb. In 1953, the gondola got stuck half-way. While it was stuck, gale force winds lashed water to within inches of it. However, despite this the gondola and The Transporter Bridge are still running in perfect order.