The Newport Transporter Bridge ( cy, Pont Gludo Casnewydd) is a

transporter bridge A transporter bridge, also known as a ferry bridge or aerial transfer 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 us ...

that crosses the

River Usk The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...

in Newport,

South East Wales South East Wales is a loosely defined region of Wales generally corresponding to the preserved counties of Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and Gwent. Highly urbanised, it includes the cities of Cardiff and Newport as well as large towns in th ...

. The bridge is the lowest crossing on the River Usk. It is a Grade I

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

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 The Tees Transporter Bridge, also referred to as the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, is a bridge in northern England. It is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees and the longest remaining transporter in the world. The bridge is ...

History

The bridge was designed by French engineer

Ferdinand Arnodin Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin (9 October 1845 – 24 April 1924) was a French engineer and industrialist born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Rhône who died in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire in Loiret. Specialising in cableway transporters, he is regarded as the in ...

. It was built in 1906 and opened by Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, on 12 September 1906.

Newport Museum Newport Museum and Art Gallery ( cy, Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gelf Casnewydd) (known locally as the City Museum ( cy, Amgueddfa Dinas)) is a museum, library and art gallery in the city of Newport, South Wales. It is located in Newport city centre on ...

holds a silver

cigar cutter A cigar cutter is a machine, mechanical device designed to cutting, cut one end off a cigar so that it may be properly smoking, smoked. Although some cigars are cut on both ends, or twirled at both ends, the vast majority come with one straight cut ...

which was presented to Viscount Tredegar on the day of the opening, as a memento of the occasion.

Design

The design was chosen because the river banks are very low at the desired crossing point (a few miles south of the

city centre A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

) where an ordinary bridge would need a very long approach ramp to attain sufficient height to allow ships to pass under, and a

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

could not be used during low tide at the site.

Principal dimensions

A Corporation of Newport drawing dated December 1902 is calibrated in metres. The height of the towers is , and the height to the underside of the main girder truss above the road level is . The span between the centres of the towers is , and the clearance between the towers is quoted as being ; however, including the cantilevered sections, the main girder truss gives the bridge an overall length of . The distance between the centres of the anchorage caissons is . Power to propel the transporter platform or gondola is provided by two 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 total travel at a speed of . 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). When compared with Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge, the Newport Transporter is taller, but less in overall length. It also utilizes approximately of steel compared to used to construct Middlesbrough's Transporter (not accounting for steel used in foundations or concrete anchors). 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

Today, the bridge is considered an “iconic symbol” of the city of Newport, particularly as a mark of its industrial heritage. 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 The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...

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

The bridge was shut down in 1985 because of

wear 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 from ''wear and tear'' w ...

. 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. £1.225 million was spent on refurbishment, financed by grants from the

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...

Newport City Council Newport City Council () is the governing body for Newport, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. It consists of 51 councillors, who represent the city's 20 wards. The council is currently, and has historically been, held by the Labour Party. ...

and Cadw. It re-opened 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 transporter bridge provided the setting for some scenes in the 1959 British crime drama film ''

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay ( cy, Bae Teigr) was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is re ...

'', 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 ''The Other Side of the Underneath'' is a 1972 British 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 th ...

'' by Jane Arden and features extensively in the 1996 video for the song "Talk to Me" by Newport band 60 Ft. Dolls.

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, 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, but it is currently closed until Spring 2023, while extensive restoration of the bridge structure is performed and a new visitor centre is constructed.

Gallery

References

External links

Friends of Newport Transporter BridgeDimensioned blue-print drawing of Newport's Transporter BridgeOn Google MapsCrow Point Festival
– Transporter Bridge centenary celebrations *
A collection of photographs, documents and plans relating to the construction of the Newport Transporter Bridge, 1902–06Newport Council page for the transporter bridgeNewport's Transporter Bridge page on http://www.newportpast.com/
{{Transport in Newport Bridges in Newport, Wales Road bridges in Wales Bridges completed in 1906 Grade I listed bridges in Wales Transporter bridges Suspension bridges Grade I listed buildings in Newport, Wales Culture in Newport, Wales Landmarks in Newport, Wales Transport in Newport, Wales Toll bridges in Wales Tourist attractions in Newport, Wales History of Newport, Wales Bridges over the River Usk 1906 establishments in Wales