Trifter

How would you design a bridge to cross a river in a busy industrial port?   You can not use a conventional bridge because you must keep open the shipping channel. 

One solution would be to build an aerial ferry or a transporter bridge. A movable roadway, or gondola is slung beneath a gantry which carries a high level walkway. These bridges avoid the need for long approach ramps and are applicable were ferries would be impractical.  At Newport this was because the river has such a large tidal range. At Duluth it was because the canal froze over in winter.  In total, less than twenty were completed. The design fell from favour with the rise of the motor car.  I have found nine that are either still in use or still standing.

Aesthetically these bridges remain as imposing symbols of an industrial age.

Those that remain are:

1. The Vizkaya Bridge in Spain.   

This spans the mouth of the Nervion River near Bilbao.  Built in 1893 by Alberto Palaci with industrial support from Ferdinand Arnodin, this is the world’s oldest transporter bridge. It is 164 metres long and can transport six cars and several dozens of passengers in 90 seconds. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2006.

2. Newport Transporter Bridge, Wales. 

This spans the River Usk at Newport.  It opened in 1906 and is the oldest remaining transporter bridge in Britain and is the largest such bridge left in the world.  The Runcorn transporter bridge which had been built one year early was demolished in 1961.  The walkway is 177 feet (54m) above the river and the towers rise to 242 feet (74m).  The gondola can traverse the river in just over a minute.

This bridge was designed by Ferdinand Arnodin. Arnodin is regarded as the father of the transporter bridge. He patented the idea in 1887. He was directly responsible for 18 such bridges, including six in France.   Arnodin incorporated suspension bridge and cable stay technologies in his designs. His factory at Châteauneuf-sur-Loire specialised in producing prefabricated metal substructures. Although the French were world leaders in this technology many of the French bridges were destroyed during the Second Wrodl War. Worldwide three of the Arnodin bridges are still standing.

The first transporter bridge in Britain was built at Runcorn in 1905. This bridge will be well remembered as Supermodel 21 in  the Mecanno range of construction kits.  This bridge was demolished in 1961.

3. The Middlesborough Transporter Bridge, England

This bridge crosses the River Tees at Middlesborough, England.  The Middlesborough Transporter Bridge is the second largest remaining transporter bridge. It opened in 1911. The opening ceremony was marred by a man falling from the bridge. The bridge has an overall length of 851 feet (259 m), leaving a span between the centres of the towers of 580 feet (180 m), the beam of the bridge being carried at a height of 160 feet (49 m) above the road. This combined with an overall height of 225 feet (69 m).  The bridge has featured in many film and TV programmes including Billy Elliot and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

4. The Aerial Lift Bridge, Minnesota, USA.

This bridge spans a small canal in Duluth, Minnesota. When completed in 1905, the Aerial Bridge’s gondola had a capacity of 54 tonnes. It could carry 350 people. The journey took about 1 minute. The original bridge was upgraded into a vertical lift bridge in 1929–30 and is still in operation.

Only two transporter bridges have ever been built in the USA. The second bridge was the Sky Ride built for the Chicago World Fair in 1934 and demolished within two years.  The Skyride was the largest transporter bridge ever constructed. The Skyride consisted of two towers 628 feet (191 m) high spaced 1,850 feet (560 m) apart. The ride had a capacity of 5,000 passengers per hour. During the course of the Fair the ride attracted 4.5 million visitors.  

5. Rendsburg, Germany

This unique bridge spans the Keil canal. It opened in 1913. A railway uses the top span while the gondola takes other traffic. The central span between the towers is 494ft (150m) and the gondola traverses 137ft (41m) above the river. A tunnel now takes heavy motor traffic under the canal, leaving the gondola to transport pedestrians, cyclists and light traffic

 6. Osten Transporter Bridge, Germany

This bridge opened in 1909.  It spans the River Osten 30 miles northwest of Hamburg. The central span is 262ft (80m). The gondola is suspended by rigid steel girders rather than cables. The bridge closed to traffic in 1974 and is now a tourist attraction.

7. Puente Transbordador, Argentina

This transporter bridge links Buenos Aires with suburbs across the Riachuelo River. This bridge was opened in 1914 but has not been in use since 1960.  

8. The Warrington Transporter Bridge (or Bank Quay Transporter Bridge), England

This structural steel transporter bridge spans the River Mersey. It was built in 1915. It has a span of 200 feet. It is 30 feet wide, and 76 feet above high water level, with an overall length of 339 feet. It closed in 1964. A similar bridge built in 1905 at the same site has been demolished.  This bridge is privately owned and was built to connect two parts of the large chemical and soap works of Messrs Joseph Crosfield & Sons Ltd.

9. Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge, France

This transporter bridge crosses the Charent at Rochefort.  It was built between 1989 and 1900.  It has a maximum height of 66.5 meters and a total length of 175 meters. It was abandoned in 1967 in favour of a vertical lift bridge, which has since been demolished. This bridge was refurbished by 1994 and is in use during the summer.  

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