Royal Tweed Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Tweed Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Royal Tweed Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 55°46′07″N 2°00′31″W / 55.7687°N 2.0085°W |
| OS grid reference | NT995528 |
| Carries | A1167 road |
| Crosses | River Tweed |
| Locale | Northumberland |
| Heritage status | Grade II* listed[1] |
| Preceded by | Royal Border Bridge |
| Followed by | Berwick Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Reinforced concrete |
| Total length | 430 m (1,410 ft) |
| Longest span | 108.5 m (356 ft) |
| No. of spans | 4 |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| History | |
| Designer | L. G. Mouchel & Partners |
| Engineering design by |
|
| Constructed by | Holloway Brothers |
| Construction start | 1925 |
| Construction end | 1928 |
| Construction cost | £180,000 |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Inaugurated |
|
| Replaced by |
|
| Location | |
 | |
The Royal Tweed Bridge, also known as the New Bridge locally, is a road bridge in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England crossing the River Tweed. It was intended to divert traffic from the 17th century Berwick Bridge, and until the 1980s it formed part of the A1 road, the main route from London to Edinburgh. However, the construction of the A1 River Tweed Bridge to the west of Berwick has since reduced the Royal Tweed Bridge's importance.
It was designed by L.G. Mouchel & Partners, with consulting engineers Charles Bressey and J. H. Bean, and the contractors for construction were Holloway Brothers of London.[2]
Construction took place between 1925 and 1928.[1] The total cost of the bridge was £180,000 (equivalent to £12,600,000 in 2023), and up to 170 workers were employed during its construction.[1] It was opened by the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, on 16 May 1928.[1]
It was built to supplement the older Berwick Bridge a short distance downstream, which still carries road traffic.[3][4] A bridge had first been proposed in 1896, and a scheme was produced in 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War meant that plans were put on hold until 1924.[1] A seven-arched stone bridge was proposed at this time, but eventually the concrete design was decided upon.[1]
The bridge was repaired in 1980, as it had been damaged by de-icing salt and its proximity to the sea.[5] The A1 River Tweed Bridge, which opened in 1984, now carries the A1 road about a mile to the west of the Royal Tweed Bridge, reducing its importance as a crossing of the Tweed.[6]
It is a Grade II* listed building in recognition of its innovative design and striking scale.[1]
