Newport Transporter Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Newport Transporter Bridge
The bridge viewed from Coronation Park
Carries	Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians including buses and multi sized lorries.
Crosses	River Usk
Locale	Newport, Wales
Official name	Newport Transporter Bridge
Maintained by	Newport City Council
Heritage status	Grade I
Characteristics
Design	Transporter bridge
Total length	236m (774.28 ft)
Width	Three cars (gondola) (total width 108 ft / 33 m)
Longest span	196.56m (644.88 ft)
History
Designer	Ferdinand Arnodin
Opened	12 September 1906
Statistics
Toll	Adult Single – £1.50 Adult Return – £2.00 Child Single – 50p Child Return – £1.00 Day Ticket (inc. unlimited trips on the gondola and walking across the top of the bridge) – £4.00

The Newport Transporter Bridge (Welsh: Pont Gludo Casnewydd) is a special type of bridge called a transporter bridge. It crosses the River Usk in Newport, which is in South East Wales. This bridge is the lowest place to cross the River Usk. It's also a very important old building, known as a Grade I listed structure.

This bridge is one of only a few transporter bridges still used around the world. Only a small number were ever built. In Britain, it's one of just two working transporter bridges. The other one is the Tees Transporter Bridge.

History of the Bridge

Newport Transporter Bridge, 1931

The Newport Transporter Bridge was designed by a French engineer named Ferdinand Arnodin. It was built in 1906 and officially opened on 12 September 1906. A local important person, Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, opened the bridge.

Why a Transporter Bridge?

This special design was chosen because the river banks are very low where the bridge was needed. If a normal bridge was built there, it would need a very long ramp to go high enough for ships to pass underneath. Also, a ferry couldn't be used at this spot because of the low tide.

So, a transporter bridge was the perfect solution! It lets tall ships pass by easily, while still allowing cars and people to cross the river at ground level.

How the Gondola Works

The main part of the bridge is a huge steel frame that stretches across the river. Hanging from this frame is a moving platform called a gondola. This gondola carries vehicles, cyclists, and people from one side of the river to the other.

The gondola moves using two powerful electric motors. These motors turn a large winch, which is like a giant spool of rope. The winch pulls the gondola along its path. The gondola can travel across the river at a speed of about 3 meters per second.

Bridge Size and Strength

The towers of the bridge are about 73.6 meters (241 feet) tall. The main part of the bridge, where the gondola hangs, is about 49.97 meters (164 feet) above the road. The distance between the two main towers is about 196.56 meters (644.88 feet). The whole bridge, including parts that stick out, is about 236 meters (774.28 feet) long.

The Newport Transporter Bridge is the oldest and largest of the three historic transporter bridges still in Britain. It's also the largest of the eight such bridges that remain in use worldwide.

Compared to the Tees Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough, the Newport bridge is about 5 meters (16 feet) taller. However, it's about 23 meters (75 feet) shorter in its total length. The Newport bridge also used less steel to build because it uses strong cables to help support its structure.

More About the Bridge

Today, the Newport Transporter Bridge is a famous symbol of the city. It reminds everyone of Newport's important industrial past.

Visiting the Bridge

Besides being a working bridge, it's also a fun place to visit! For a small fee, you can climb up the towers and walk across the very top deck of the bridge. This gives you amazing views of the river and the city.

The bridge is also part of the National Cycle Network, which is a system of bike paths across the country. Route 4 crosses the River Usk here, and Route 47 starts at the bridge.

Bridge in the Spotlight

The bridge was the main focus of Newport's millennium celebrations in the year 2000. Fireworks were even set off from its length! It has also appeared in several movies and TV shows. In September 2006, it was the star of the Crow Point Festival, celebrating its 100th birthday. People even do charity events like sponsored abseils (climbing down ropes) from the bridge!

Keeping the Bridge Strong

The Transporter Bridge in 2008

The bridge had to close in 1985 because it was getting old and worn out. After a big repair project that cost £3 million, it reopened in 1995.

It closed again in December 2008 because it needed more repairs, costing about £2 million. Money for these repairs came from the Welsh Government, Newport City Council, and Cadw (a Welsh government body that looks after historic places). The bridge reopened on 30 July 2010.

It closed briefly again on 16 February 2011 due to some problems, but it reopened on 4 June that same year.

Visitor Centre Fun

On the west side of the bridge, there's a Visitor Centre. Here, you can learn all about the bridge's history, how it was built, and see information about other transporter bridges around the world.

The centre also has a painting of David Pearce. He was a famous Welsh and British Heavyweight Boxing Champion. David Pearce used to run up the steps of the Transporter Bridge as part of his training! The Visitor Centre is open on weekends.

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