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 used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be able to pass. This has been a rare type of bridge, with fewer than two dozen built. There are just twelve that continue to be used today.

History The concept of the transporter bridge was invented in 1873 by Charles Smith (1844–1882), the manager of an engine works in Hartlepool, England. He called it a "bridge ferry" and unsuccessfully presented his ideas to councils in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, and Glasgow.

The first transporter bridge, Vizcaya Bridge was built between Las Arenas and Portugalete, Spain, in 1893. The design from Alberto Palacio inspired others to attempt similar structures. The idea came about in locations where it was seen as impractical to build long approach ramps that would be required to reach a high span, and in places where ferries are not easily able to cross. Because transporter bridges can carry only a limited load, the idea was little used after the rise of the automobile.

The first such bridge built in France, the 1898 Rouen bridge crossing the Seine, was destroyed by the French Army to slow down German troops in World War II. Transporter bridges were popular in France, where five were erected and another partially completed.

The United Kingdom has four transporter bridges, though Warrington Transporter Bridge is disused and the modern Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, though designed with the potential to be used as a transporter bridge, has so far only been used as a high-level footbridge. The Newport Transporter Bridge was built in 1906 across the River Usk in Newport. Because the river banks are very low at the crossing point (a few miles south of the city centre) a traditional bridge would need a very long approach ramp and a ferry could not be used at low tide. The Newport Bridge was a Ferdinand Arnodin design. The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge opened in 1911 crossing the River Tees. It was featured in the 2002 series of the popular British TV show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet; the programme's plot had the bridge being dismantled and re-erected in Arizona, US. The Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge, demolished in the early 1960s, was the first of its type in Britain, and the largest ever built.

In the United States, two such bridges were built. The first was the Aerial Bridge built in Duluth, Minnesota in 1905, although the city had originally planned to build a vertical lift bridge at the site. The transporter design was used for about 25 years before the structure was reconfigured to lift a central span in 1930.

The second American transporter bridge was different from other designs and partially resembled gondola lifts used in mountainous regions. The Sky Ride was part of the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair ("Century of Progress"). It was taken down after two years, and was the longest bridge of this type ever built at the time.

Two historic transporter bridges survive in Germany. The bridge at Rendsburg, from 1913 is two bridges in one: a railroad link crosses on the top span, and the suspended ferry carries traffic on the valley floor. The Osten Transporter Bridge at Osten is four years older and was the first transporter bridge in Germany.

List of transporter bridges Existing bridges

Bridge Image City Country Completed Span Clearance Height In Use? Coordinates Notes Vizcaya Bridge Portugalete/Getxo 1893 In use 24/7, passenger fare 0.45 euro in 2022 (1.60 at night), fares between 1.65 and 3.50 for vehicles. It was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2006. It has become a prototype for subsequent bridges. Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge Rochefort, Charente-Maritime 1900 In use during the summer. This bridge may be seen in the film The Young Girls of Rochefort. Aerial Lift Bridge Duluth, Minnesota 1905 No longer a transporter bridge; converted into a lift bridge in 1929, in use. Newport Transporter Bridge Newport 1906 The bridge is closed for restoration work and the construction of the new visitor centre. Currently closed again for repairs and construction of the new visitor centre with a planned Summer 2024 (delayed to late 2026) reopening. Appears in the film Tiger Bay. Osten Transporter Bridge Osten 1909 In use, but only as a tourist attraction. Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge Middlesbrough 1911 . The bridge has been closed due to safety concerns. Refurbishment works are currently being developed with the aim to reopen the structure in 2032 The bridges future is currently in discussion with Mayor Sir Ben Houchen due to the £60M GBP it is estimated to cost for full repairs of the bridge to be put back into operation, residents have mixed opinions on this and there is currently a public consultation into whether it should get knocked down and replaced or repaired due to its significant history and pride in the local area of the Teesside. Rendsburg High Bridge Rendsburg 1913 Only known combo railroad/transporter bridge. Gondola was destroyed in a collision with a ship in 2016, but has been replaced by an exact replica in 2022. Puente Transbordador Nicolás Avellaneda Buenos Aires/Dock Sud 1914 103.6 m (340 ft) In use. It was closed in 1960 but was restored and reopened in September 2017. Warrington Transporter Bridge Warrington 1916 Disused. Originally for rail wagons. Converted for road vehicles in 1940. Listed as an "ancient monument", but still at risk. (One of two originally at this site; the other, from 1905 did not survive.) Puente Nicolás Avellaneda Buenos Aires/Dock Sud 1940 60 m (197 ft) (not lifted), (lifted) Transporter bridge below a liftable section of a vertical lift bridge. Since 1960 only used, when the road on the bridge is closed for maintenance work. Royal Victoria Dock Bridge London 1998 Designed to allow use as a transporter bridge but currently only in use as a high-level footbridge. Near Mönchengladbach 2003 Small human-powered transporter bridge. Liberec – Chrastava 2010 Small human-powered transporter bridge.

Historic bridges Bridge Image Location Country Completed Span Notes Messrs. Crosfield’s Transporter Bridge Warrington 1905 76 m demolished Bizerta/Brest Transporter Bridge Bizerta 1898 109 m Moved to Brest, France in 1909, damaged 1944, demolished 1947. Bordeaux Transporter Bridge Bordeaux — 400 m(total) Started 1910, but never completed. Demolished, 1942. Devil's Dyke Transporter Bridge Devil's Dyke 1894 198 m Demolished, 1909. Kiel Transporter Bridge Kiel 1910 128 m Demolished, 1923. Maarsserbrug Maarssen 1938 88 m Fixed bridge for regular traffic with transporter for agricultural usages, removed in 1959. Marseille Transporter Bridge Marseille 1905 165 m Destroyed, 1944. Nantes Transporter Bridge Nantes 1903 141 m Demolished, 1958. Puente Transbordador Presidente Sáenz Peña Buenos Aires 1913 Demolished, 1965. Puente Transbordador Presidente Urquiza Buenos Aires 1915 Demolished, 1968. Ponte Alexandrino de Alencar Rio de Janeiro 1915 171 m Demolished, 1935. Rouen Transporter Bridge Rouen 1898 142 m Destroyed, 1940. Sky Ride Chicago, Illinois 1933 564 m Demolished, 1934. Knoxville Transporter Bridge Knoxville, Tennessee 1894 Demolished. Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge Widnes-Runcorn 1905 304 m Demolished, 1961.

See also Movable bridges for a list of other movable bridge types Southwest Line

References

External links

The Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge BBC Article on the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge Warrington Transporter Bridge BBC article on the Bridges of the River Tees Structurae: Transporter bridges The World of Transporter bridges Rochefort Transporter Bridge official website Flying Bridges: A Short History of Transporter Bridges Transporter Bridges on historic postcards Transporter Bridges on Skyscraperpage.com