Runcorn Railway bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge
There are 2 separate bridges close together here where the river narrows quite consierably. The decks of both bridges are at the same level, making it so it can sometimes be difficult to tell which parts of which bridge you are looking at. The picture shows them from the Runcorn, south side of the river. The water that can be seen is mostly the Manchester Ship Canal which runs beside the River Mersey here. There is just a thin sliver of the river showing over the barrier which seperates the two.
The rail bridge was built by the London and North Western Railway and opened in 1868. It carries the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main line. It is contructed with an iron lattice box girder, sandstone pillars and huge brick arches on its approaches. I have also heard the rail bridge called the Britannia, or AEthelflaed bridge. Footings of a castle built by AEthelflaed were found during its constuction. There are some battlements and crests on the bridge to comemorate this. AEthelflaed ruled as lady of the Mercians from 911 until her death in 918. The River Mersey was the northern border of Mercia. This is where the rivers name comes from.
The Silver Jubilee Bridge, also known as the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge or locally just as Runcorn Bridge, was opened in 1961. It replaced the tranporter bridge, which was a platform that hung below steel cables and was pulled from one side to the other with its payload of cars, lorries and people. The bridge is a through arch bridge made of steel. The large gracefull arch is sometimes lit up. Both bridges cross the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal.
Mersey Gateway Bridge
With six lanes and mesuring two and a half kilometers long, our newest bridge over the River Mersey is quite some size. It was an interesting project to behold. Constucted from reinforced concrete, the main parts of the bridge over the river poured in situ using walking forms. As each piece was poured and set the forms or moulds would be released and moved up or along to be ready for the next pour. The bridge slowly stretched up and out from each of the 3 main pillar foundations in the river until it was able to met in the middle between each one and join up with the approaches.