Rochester Bridge - Kent, ME1 1QE. - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

Extracts from Rochester Bridge Trust

The cast iron Rochester Bridge was built in 1856 to replace a Medieval stone bridge. One span was designed to swing open to allow river traffic, but the mechanism was never used and was eventually removed. The cast iron spans were below the road deck, making the bridge relatively low and meant that passing traffic on the river had to navigate to line up with the top of the arch or risk striking the bridge. Not every ship was successful and many collisions occurred. These took their toll on the bridge and an inspection in 1909 showed fractured ribs and missing bolts. After a relatively short life a new bridge was needed. From around 1908 the bridge also carried the tracks for the local tram system that linked Strood and Frindsbury with Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham.

In April 1910, after considering several designs put forward by bridge engineer John Robson, the Wardens and Assistants of Rochester Bridge approved plans to reconstruct the bridge by raising the roadway and suspending it from arches above the road surface instead of supporting it on arches below. After an expenditure of £95, 887 the bridge was once again declared open for traffic on 14 May 1914. The reconstructed bridge, known today as the Old Bridge, has three arched steel truss spans and a plate girder approach span with ramps at each end. The Strood Approach at the western end is constructed over brick arches. The carriageway, originally built for two tramway tracks (tram system abandoned in 1930) and third lane for overtaking traffic, is 7.93 metres wide. Today, it carries the two lanes of westward-bound traffic from Rochester to Strood.

In 1970 to increase capacity, a second road bridge was opened immediately next to the first by resting a new bridge of concrete and steel box girders on the piers of the disused railway bridge downstream of the reconstructed Victorian bridge. The "old bridge" as it is now known, underwent major maintenance and complete refurbishment, completed in November 2006, to extend the lifespan another 30 years. As for all the work to the bridges, this was paid for by the Rochester Bridge Trust with the proceeds from the original endowments dating back to 1399 and was carried out at no cost to the public taxpayer, hence the motto Publica Privatis (to Public from Private) on the Trusts coat of arms displayed on the bridge.

Length of bridge: 680 ft What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Pedestrian - motor vehicles - cycles What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: The River Medway Date constructed: 1914 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: A2 Watling Street Location: Rochester, Kent, England. Height of bridge: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/16/2013 Master Mariner visited it 01/19/2013 dave-harris visited it

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