M3 Chertsey Bridge
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M3 Chertsey Bridge | |
|---|---|
 M3 Motorway Bridge from Chertsey Lock | |
| Coordinates | 51°23′39″N 0°29′12″W / 51.39417°N 0.48667°W |
| Carries | M3 motorway |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Chertsey, Surrey |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Concrete, steel |
| Total length | 400 ft (120 m) |
| Longest span | 210 ft (64 m) |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| Piers in water | 0 |
| Clearance below | 21 feet 4 inches (6.50 m)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 11 July 1974 |
| Location | |
 | |
The M3 Chertsey Bridge is a motorway bridge in South East England built between December 1968 and March 1971. It carries the M3 over the navigable River Thames to the north of Chertsey Lock, near Chertsey, Surrey. It was opened to motorway traffic on 11 July 1974.
The M3 Chertsey Bridge crosses the navigable River Thames near Chertsey, Surrey. The central span, above the river channel, has a length of 210 ft (64 m) and the other two spans are 95 ft (29 m) long, giving a total length of 400 ft (120 m). The piers are on opposite banks of the river, immediately adjacent to the water's edge, and are 6 ft wide (1.8 m) at the base, tapering to 4 ft wide (1.2 m) at the top.[2][3]
The bridge has a total width of 118 ft (36 m) between the aluminium parapets. It has two 7 ft thick (2.1 m) concrete decks, one for each carriageway. Each deck supports three running lanes, with a total width of 36 ft 8 in (11.18 m), and a 9 ft 10 in wide (3.00 m) hard shoulder. The motorway passes over the river in a gentle curve and the road surface is therefore cambered; as a result, the northern deck, which carries the eastbound carriageway, is higher than the southern deck.[2][3] There is an expansion joint where the decks pass over the eastern abutment.[2] Each road deck is supported by nine steel girders,[3] and the clearance below the bridge for river traffic is 21 ft 4 in (6.50 m).[1]