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Ashton Avenue Bridge

From Alfawiki
Ashton Avenue Bridge
Company typeBridge
IndustryTransportation infrastructure
Founded1906
Headquarters
Bristol
,
England
ProductsRoad and rail crossing (originally), now pedestrian, cycle, and busway crossing


Template:Infobox bridge The Ashton Avenue Bridge serves as a crossing for pedestrians, cyclists, and buses in Bristol, England.[1] Recognised as a Grade II listed structure,[2][3] it was originally built to function as a combined road and rail bridge linked to the Bristol Harbour Railway. Today, it accommodates the Bristol MetroBus guided busway alongside routes of the National Cycle Network.

Background

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was an initiative by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel aimed at reducing travel duration between London and North America, accessible through New York City. Securing funding from the City of Bristol, the initial parliamentary approval authorised construction of the GWR line connecting London to Bristol via stops at Reading, Berkshire, Swindon, and Bath, Somerset.

The Bristol Harbour Railway (BHR) began as a collaborative project between the GWR and its affiliate, the Bristol and Exeter Railway.[1] Commencing operations in 1872, it linked Template:Stnlnk station with the Floating Harbour. The railway’s path featured a tunnel beneath St Mary Redcliffe church and incorporated a steam-driven bascule bridge spanning the entrance locks at Bathurst Basin. In 1876, this line was extended by approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) westward to reach Wapping Wharf.[1]

Construction

The 1897 Act of Parliament granted the GWR permission to establish an eastward link connecting the BHR with the Portishead Railway. This included constructing the West Loop at Template:Stnlnk, oriented southward towards Template:Stnlnk and Template:Stnlnk. This development was intended to double the BHR’s rail access capacity to the Great Western Main Line.

In 1905, plans were advanced to extend the BHR from Wapping Wharf across Spike Island, as previously authorized. From there, it would split into two branches: one heading west to Wapping along the New Cut, and another leading to Canons Marsh on the northern bank of the River Avon, where it would connect with the Portishead Railway at what became known as Butterfly Junction.

A collaborative arrangement between Bristol Corporation and GWR appointed J.C. Inglis as Chief Engineer. The construction contract was awarded to John Lysaght and Co., while Armstrong Whitworth was responsible for designing the hydraulic mechanism for bridge movement. Work began in 1905 on the 582 feet (177 m) span bridge, featuring two squared, rock-faced limestone piers; the southern pier served as the pivot for the swinging section. The moveable segment was a 202 feet (62 m) Whipple Murphy truss span weighing approximately 1,000 long tons (1,000 t), contributing to a total metal framework weight of around 1,500 long tons (1,500 t) for the entire structure. The bridge was engineered to operate bidirectionally, with each opening and closing cycle consuming about 182 imperial gallons (830 L; 219 US gal) of water from the Floating Harbour. A single elevated structure above the upper road deck housed the bridge control cabin, road and railway signal boxes, along with the reversible hydraulic motor.

Initially, the bridge’s construction was estimated at £36,500, with GWR agreeing to cover half of this amount. However, final expenses reached £70,389, prompting Bristol Corporation to request an increased contribution from GWR. After negotiations, GWR agreed to provide £22,000 towards the total cost.

Operations

Conceived and inaugurated as a freight-exclusive route known as the Wapping Wharf Branch, the bridge officially opened on 3 October 1906, with Lady Mayoress Mrs A.J. Smith presiding over the ceremony. The GWR was responsible for railway and road operations as well as maintenance of the bridge. It typically operated about ten times daily until February 1934. The railway signals controlling access were interlocked with signal boxes located on both sides of the river, ensuring that signals could not be cleared unless the bridge span was securely locked in its closed position.

Decommissioning

File:Bristol MMB X0 Ashton Avenue Bridge.jpg
The bridge prior to restoration, showing the rail trail and overgrown tracks.

In 1951, Bristol Corporation revoked the Great Western Railway's responsibility for maintaining the swing mechanism,[1][2] leading to the bridge being permanently welded closed. Following the construction of a new A370 road dual carriageway through the dockland area and the inauguration of the Plimsoll Bridge replacement to the west in 1965,[2] both the road surface and signal cabin were dismantled.[1]

The link between the Bristol Harbour Railway (BHR) and Temple Meads was discontinued with track removal in 1964, and the Canons Marsh branch ceased operations a year later. Nevertheless, the Western Fuel Company maintained coal transport services using the line from the Portishead branch across the swing bridge and through Wapping marshalling yard.[1] In 1976, the bridge's rail line was reduced to a single track, remaining in use until Western Fuel ended its railway activities in 1987.[1][2] The bridge saw a visit from GWR Pannier Tank No.1369 in 1996, prior to reopening part of the BHR as a visitor attraction.[1]

Present

File:M2 Metrobus enters Ashton Avenue Bridge from south, 27 Dec 2018.jpg
Bristol M2 Metrobus crossing Ashton Avenue Bridge from the southern approach, December 2018

In May 2000, the bridge was designated as a Grade II listed structure,[2] and by 2009 it appeared on the Heritage at Risk Register.[3] While a single rail track remained on one side of the bridge, it had become heavily overgrown. Meanwhile, the opposite side had been transformed into a rail trail footpath and cycleway, forming part of National Cycle Network route 41’s Ashton to Pill Path segment and, since 2013, also serving as the "Festival Way" section of National Cycle Network route 33 leading to Nailsea.[1][4]

In autumn 2015, it was announced that Ashton Avenue Bridge would close for approximately one year to undergo comprehensive refurbishment as part of the MetroBus initiative. The upgraded structure now accommodates a dedicated single bus lane alongside an expanded combined cycle and pedestrian path.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ForRel
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Listed
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named HaRR
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Closure2015
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

External links

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