Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Severn Bridge seen from Aust Beach, England | |
| Coordinates | 51°36′33″N 02°38′18″W / 51.60917°N 2.63833°W |
| Carries | M48 motorway (4 lanes) National Cycle Route 4 (shared cycle path and footway)[1] |
| Crosses | River Severn River Wye |
| Locale | South West England / South East Wales |
| Maintained by | National Highways[2][3] |
| Heritage status | Grade I listed |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 0.99 mi (1.6 km) |
| Height | 445 ft (136 m) |
| Longest span | 3,240 ft (988 m) |
| Clearance below | 154 ft (47 m)[4] |
| History | |
| Architect | Freeman Fox and Partners in association with Mott, Hay and Anderson, consulting architect Sir Percy Thomas[5] |
| Constructed by | John Howard & Co., Sir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and Dorman Long |
| Opened | 8 September 1966 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | Between 17,155 and 17,828 (2003–2008)[6] |
| Toll | Free |
| Location | |
The Severn Bridge (Welsh: Pont Hafren) is a motorway suspension bridge that spans the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wales, and took three and a half years to build,[7] at a cost of £8 million.[8] It replaced the 137-year-old Aust Ferry.
The bridge was opened in 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II.[9] For thirty years, the bridge carried the M4 motorway. It was granted Grade I listed status in 1999.[10]
Following the completion of the Second Severn Crossing, the section of motorway from Olveston in England to Magor in Wales was designated the M48.
In addition to carrying the motorway, the bridge has service paths on each side which are open to pedestrians and cyclists. These carry National Cycle Route 4 and EuroVelo cycle routes,[11] as well as hosting a weekly parkrun.[12]
- ^ "the OpenStreetMap Cycle Map". OpenCycleMap.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ "Highways England network management" (PDF). gov.uk. Highways England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Severn Bridges will be owned by the government from tomorrow as tolls to be scrapped in 2018". Bristol Post. Trinity Mirror. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Severn Bridge". 8 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ Historic England. "Severn Bridge and Aust Viaduct, First Severn Crossing (1119760)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "The Impact of the Severn Tolls on the Welsh Economy" (PDF). Welsh Government. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "The Severn Crossing — Facts and Figures - Highways Agency". Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ "Construction cost". M48 Severn Bridge – Closures to Install Cable Drying. Archived from the original on 6 March 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ "Celebrating Her Majesty's service to engineering". Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
grade1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Route 4". Sustrans.
- ^ "This wild parkrun course takes you into a whole other country". Metro. 4 October 2024.