Itchen Bridge

Itchen Bridge
Coordinates
Carries	A3025 road (2 lanes)
Crosses	River Itchen
Locale	Southampton
Owner	Southampton City Council
Preceded by	Northam Bridge
Characteristics
Design	High-level hollow box girder
Total length	800 metres (870 yd)
Height	28 metres (92 ft)
Clearance above	open
History
Engineering design by	Kier Limited
Construction cost	£12.174 million
Opened	13 July 1977 (1977-07-13)
Inaugurated	22 March 1974 (1974-03-22)
Replaces	Woolston Floating Bridge
Statistics
Toll	variable (based on vehicle type)
Itchen Bridge Location in Southampton

The Itchen Bridge is a bridge over the River Itchen in Southampton, Hampshire. It is a high-level hollow box girder bridge. It is located about a mile from the river mouth. The bridge spans 870 yards (800 m), is 92 feet (28 m) at its highest point and weighs 62,000 tons. It was officially opened on 13 July 1977. At the Woolston end a toll booth operates daily. Southampton City Council levy a variable toll, depending on vehicle type. The toll was originally charged in order to help pay the £12.174 million it cost to build. The toll succeeded in this some years ago, but the toll remains to control the traffic in the areas surrounding the bridge. The bridge was opened by HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Mrs Angus Ogilvy on 13 July 1977, although it had been open to public foot traffic since 31 May 1977 when Mrs Edith Parks became the first person to cross it. On 21 December 2010, it was announced that an automatic toll system would replace the staffed booth, saving over £200,000 annually.

The Itchen Bridge's set of blue energy-saving lights are very bright, and can be seen from up to five miles down Southampton Water from the bridge.

See also

• Itchen ferry

Gallery

• Itchen Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 22418.jpg

  The Itchen Bridge taken from the site where the Supermarine works used to be

• Itchen-bridge-hdr.jpg

  Under the Itchen Bridge

• Itchen-bridge-notices.jpg

  Samaritans notice and intercom on top of the Itchen Bridge

• Itchen Bridge as seen from Woolston.jpg

  A shot of Itchen Bridge as seen from Woolston Jetty on a foggy evening

• Itchen Bridge.jpg

  New lights over Itchen Bridge said to reduce power consumption by 20%

• New lights on Itchen Bridge.jpg

  New Lights on Itchen bridge

• Itchen Bridge Plaque.jpg

  Itchen Bridge opened by HRH Princess Alexandra 13 July 1977

External links

• Live CCTV images of the bridge, toll-end
• The Itchen Bridge and it's Association with Transport