Britannia Bridge - Commencement of the Second Road Crossing, Treborth, Gwynedd, Wales
Posted by: 
Meirion
N 53° 12.885 W 004° 11.039
30U E 420938 N 5896815
A commemorative stone set close to the base of the Britannia Bridge, Treborth, Gwynedd, Wales.
Waymark Code: WMF56N
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/25/2012
Views: 1
The Britannia Bridge was built between 1846-50 to carry the railway across Afon Menai. The bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson and was a tubular construction of riveted iron box-girders which carried up and down trains. On the 23rd May 1970 the bridge was damaged by a fire started by children playing inside the bridge. Although still standing after the fire the bridge was no longer safe and train journey across the bridge ceased.
However the bridge was slowly re-designed as an arched bridge built around the core of Stephenson's original design. In 1972 a reduced rail service across the bridge was restarted. In 1978 the second phase of reconstruction began with the addition of a second level to carry traffic across the Menai Strait.
In 1980, almost 10 years after the fire, the upper road level opened to traffic.
The stone is set close to the base of one of the supports of the bridge close to a public footpath on the mainland side of the bridge.
The text on the stone reads:
1850
I NODI DECHRAU'R AIL FFRODD DROS AFON MENAI
GOSODWYD Y GARRED HOM GAN YSGRIFENNYDD GWLADOL CYMRU
GWIR ANRH - RT HON JOHN MORRIS QC MP
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES SET THIS STONE
TO MARK THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SECOND ROAD CROSSING OVER THE MENAI STRAIT
1978
The stone also depicts the bridge as it appeared in 1850 and how the finished bridge was envisioned in 1978.
Type of Historic Marker: Commemorative stone,
Related Website: [Web Link]
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Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Not listed
Age/Event Date: Not listed
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