Royal Albert Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 50°24′27″N 4°12′12″W / 50.4076°N 4.2034°W |
Carries | Railway |
Crosses | River Tamar |
Locale | Between Plymouth and Saltash, England |
Maintained by | Network Rail |
Characteristics | |
Design | Lenticular truss |
Material | Iron |
Total length | 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m) |
Width | 16.83 feet (5.13 m) (inside piers) |
Height | 172 feet (52.4 m) |
Longest span | 2 of 455 feet (138.7 m) |
No. of spans | 19 |
Piers in water | 3 |
Clearance below | 100 feet (30 m) |
History | |
Designer | I K Brunel |
Construction start | May 1854 |
Construction end | April 1859 |
Opened | 2 May 1859 |
Statistics | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Royal Albert Bridge and seventeen approach spans |
Designated | 17 January 1952 |
Reference no. | 1159292 |
Location | |
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two 455-foot (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It is adjacent to the Tamar Bridge which opened in 1961 to carry the A38 road.
The Royal Albert Bridge was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.[1] Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either end of the bridge as a memorial. During the 20th century the approach spans were replaced, and the main spans strengthened. It has attracted sightseers since its construction and has appeared in many paintings, photographs, guidebooks, postage stamps and on the UK £2 coin. Anniversary celebrations took place in 1959 and 2009.