Rights Managed > Historic England > Transport > Bridges
Widnes and Runcorn Transporter Bridge a98_05132
Filename: AA98_05132.jpg
Size: 5152 x 3391 (5.7MB)
Date: 8th July 2019
Source: Historic England
Credit: Historic England Archive
Copyright Status: Copyrighted Work
Source: Historic England Archive
Owner URL: images.historicenglandservices.org.uk
Job Title: Photographer
© Historic England Archive
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Historic England
Widnes and Runcorn Transporter Bridge a98_05132
The Widnes and Runcorn Transporter Bridge, Widnes, Halton, Cheshire. The transporter bridge was an unusual solution to moving vehicles across a busy shipping lane, in this case the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. A travelling platform hung from overhead gantries allowed ships to pass underneath. Built in 1905 on the suspension principle with a span of 1, 000 feet it was the largest bridge of this type ever. It was demolished after 1961 when a new high level road bridge was built. Photographed in the early 1950s by Eric de Mare
Historic England is the public body that champions and protects England's historic places
Media ID 19130042
© Historic England Archive
Bridge Children River Road Transport
EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photograph, the Widnes and Runcorn Transporter Bridge, located in Widnes, Halton, Cheshire, stands as a testament to engineering innovation and ingenuity. The bridge, built in 1905, was a unique solution to the challenge of moving vehicles across the busy shipping lane formed by the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The bridge's most distinctive feature is its transporter system, which allowed vehicles to travel on a platform suspended from overhead gantries. This design enabled ships to pass underneath unobstructed, making it an essential piece of infrastructure for the thriving industrial towns of Widnes and Runcorn. The Widnes and Runcorn Transporter Bridge was the largest of its kind ever built, with a span of an impressive 1,000 feet. The bridge was constructed using the suspension principle, and its scale is evident in the photograph, with the tiny figures of children in the foreground adding a sense of scale. The bridge served its purpose well until the late 1960s when a new high-level road bridge was built to replace it. This photograph, taken in the early 1950s by renowned photographer Eric de Mare, captures the bridge in its prime, a symbol of progress and engineering excellence. The image invites us to reflect on the past and marvel at the ingenuity of those who built such structures to connect communities and facilitate the movement of goods and people.
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