Tees Newport Vertical Lift Bridge, Middlesbrough, UK
N 54° 34.308 W 001° 15.670
30U E 612406 N 6048533
The Tees Newport Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge spanning the River Tees a short distance upriver from Tees Transporter Bridge, linking Middlesbrough with the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the north east of England.
Waymark Code: WMT35M
Location: North East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/17/2016
Views: 2
Constructed - 1932-1934
The Tees Vertical Lift Bridge is a massive steel structure which opened in February 1934, and was the first to be built in the UK and the heaviest of its kind in the world.
It was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and built by Dorman Long, a local firm at a cost of £437,000. The foundation stones were laid on 14 July 1932 and the bridge opened only 19 months later by the then Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI).
The bridge has a vertical lift of 37 metres, its vertical towers are 55 metres and is 82 metres long (combined length of bridge and approaches is 4,920 feet) and its lifting span is counterbalanced by weights.
Operated by two 325 horsepower electric motors and a stand-by petrol engine, but with provision for manual lifting in the event of electrical failure.
Lifting the centre span took 90 seconds to complete.
As the number of vessels declined as Stockton's port activities decreased, and with the construction of the Tees Barrage it was no longer needed and was bolted down after its final lift in November 1990.
Bridge Type: Vertical Lift Bridge
Built: 02/01/1934
Span: 269 ft/82 m
Pedestrian Traffic: yes
Bicycle Traffic: yes
Vehicular Traffic: yes
Railway Traffic: no
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the bridge and record the exact coordinates where the picture was taken.