Keadby Bridge

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Keadby Bridge
Keadby Bridge.jpg
Keadby Bridge
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Crosses River Trent
Other name(s) King George V Bridge
Heritage status Grade II listed structure
Characteristics
Total length 548 feet (167 m)
Longest span 150 feet (46 m)
History
Opened 1916

Keadby Bridge, more formally known as the King George V Bridge, crosses the River Trent near Althorpe and Keadby in Lincolnshire, England.

History

The King George V bridge was opened by King George V, the chairman of the railway company and Lindsey County Council on 21 May 1916

This Scherzer rolling lift bridge carries both road and rail traffic across the River Trent. It was built between 1912 and 1916 by the Great Central Railway to replace a previous swing bridge built by the South Yorkshire Railway in 1866. It carries a double track railway line on the southern side, and the two-lane, single carriageway A18 road on the north side.

Keadby Bridge, from Althorpe Railway Station

Its 50 metre (163ft) electrically powered bascule (lifting span) was one of the first of its type in Britain and when built, was the largest in Europe. Designed by James Ball and C A Rowlandson and built by contractors Sir William Arrol & Co. it has three main spans and two approach spans. The eastern main span was the one that lifted. The Scherzer bascule rolled and rotated on counterbalance. It was electrically powered, originally by a large storage battery fed by petrol-driven generators housed in the engine room beneath the east approach span.[1] This was later modified to mains electricity.

The bridge has not been lifted since 1956. The bridge was widened and the headroom increased in 1960 and the bascule was fixed in position.[2]


Next crossing upstream River Trent Next crossing downstream
M180 motorway  Keadby Bridge
Grid reference: SE840106
None 

References

  1. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, volume 203 (1916-17).
  2. Civil engineering heritage: Eastern and central England. E. A. Labrum

External links