The Torridge Bridge is a 650-metre-long

concrete bridge Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

, situated broadly in an east-west direction, built in 1987 in

Bideford Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is the main town of the Torridge local government district. Toponymy In ancient records Bideford is recorded as ''Bedeford'', ''By ...

, England over the River Torridge. The bridge provides a bypass to Bideford avoiding the

Bideford Long Bridge Bideford Long Bridge in North Devon spans the River Torridge near its estuary and connects the old part of the town, and formerly important river port, of Bideford on the left bank (west side) with East-the-Water on the right bank (east side). ...

. Known additionally for its suicides the bridge has since been improved, with the instalment of higher railings. The road expansion joints on the west side were replaced in 2020 mitigating the loud "bonking" noise caused by passing road traffic. (From the 1927 book ''

Tarka the Otter ''Tarka the Otter: His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers'' is a novel by English writer Henry Williamson, first published in 1927 by G.P. Putnam's Sons with an introduction by the Hon. Sir John Fortescue. It won the ...

''; the

Tarka Trail The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths (rail trails) around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by the fictional Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It covers a total of in a figure-of-eight route, centred o ...

passes under the location of the bridge).

History

Design

Three piers are in the river. Each of the piers in the water is protected by concrete fenders 24m long by 8 metres wide by 8 metres high. The concrete piers of the bridge are around 24m high. It was designed by MRM Partnership, now part of

WSP Global WSP Global Inc. is a Canadian company with American and British roots, providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment. It is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. After the purchase of New York-headquartered ...

. Calculations were made for the possible effect of cross-wind and shear. It was designed by 1980.Design at Concrete Construction
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Construction

The bridge deck waterproofing system (Icosit Membrane) was made by Sika Inertol of

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

. The concrete was made from 60% blastfurnace cement and 40% cement, and made by

Blue Circle Blue Circle Industries was a British public company manufacturing cement. It was founded in 1900 as the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd through the fusion of 24 cement works, mostly around on the Thames and Medway estuaries, toget ...

on-site. Salt aggregates came from ECC Quarries. The prestressing metal cable was provided by

British Ropes British Ropes was a company established on 6 June 1924 through the merger of eight companies. The companies were: Gateshead * Haggie Brothers, Gateshead * Tyne Wire Drawing Co (a subsidiary of the above) Liverpool: * R. S. Newall and Son London: ...

(of

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...

). Each section of the bridge was built with a 377-feet-long gantry leg, or launching girder, from the neighbouring concrete pier, by the balanced-cantilever method. The bridge is made from 251 9-feet-long pre-cast segments, each weighing up to 105 tonnes. Each precast box unit took one day to cast. It won the 1988

Concrete Society The Concrete Society is a UK based Nonprofit organization, non-profit company that was founded in 1966 in response to the increasing need for a single organisation embracing all those interested in concrete. On its formal inauguration, on 13 Octob ...

Award. It opened on Wednesday 20 May 1987 by the

High Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

. It was opened as part of the 8 km Bideford Bypass. The bypass contract had taken two and a half years.

Structure

The bridge lies between the districts of

North Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth ...

, to the east, and

Torridge Torridge may refer to: * Torridge District, a local government district in the county of Devon, England * River Torridge, is a river in Devon in England * Torridge Lass Suffix beginning with F ''Empire Fabian'' ''Empire Fabian'' was an E ...

, to the west, and around a half-mile north of Bideford. It is accessed via a roundabout with the A386, to the west, and a junction with the B3233, to the east. The

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises a ...

passes under the bridge, on the east bank, and passes near the west bank. The East bank of the bridge is in Westleigh, Devon. The A39, that it carries, is known as the ''Atlantic Highway'', which originates at junction 27 of the M5 at

Burlescombe Burlescombe (, ) is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Holcombe Rogus, Culmstock, Uffculme, Halberton and Sampford Peverell. According t ...

and

Sampford Peverell Sampford Peverell is a village and civil parish in Mid-Devon, England. An old Saxon settlement, it was called Sanforda in the 1086 Doomsday Book. Its current name reflects its inclusion in the Honour of Peverel, the lands of William Peverel ...

in Devon, close to the

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

boundary.

References

External links