Severn Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge seen from Aust Beach, England
Coordinates	51°36′33″N 02°38′18″W / 51.60917°N 2.63833°W / 51.60917; -2.63833
Carries	M48 motorway (4 lanes) National Cycle Route 4 (shared cycle path and footway)
Crosses	River Severn River Wye
Locale	South West England / South East Wales
Maintained by	National Highways
Heritage status	Grade I listed
Characteristics
Design	Suspension bridge
Total length	0.99 mi (1.6 km)
Height	445 ft (136 m)
Longest span	3,240 ft (988 m)
Clearance below	154 ft (47 m)
History
Architect	Freeman Fox and Partners in association with Mott, Hay and Anderson, consulting architect Sir Percy Thomas
Constructed by	John Howard & Co., Sir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company and Dorman Long
Opened	8 September 1966
Statistics
Daily traffic	Between 17,155 and 17,828 (2003–2008)
Toll	Free

The Severn Bridge (which is called Pont Hafren in Welsh) is a huge suspension bridge that crosses the River Severn. It connects South Gloucestershire in England with Monmouthshire in South East Wales. This bridge was the very first road crossing over the Severn River between England and Wales. It took three and a half years to build and cost about £8 million. Before the bridge, people used a ferry called the Aust Ferry to cross the river.

Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the bridge in 1966. For 30 years, it was part of the main M4 motorway. In 1999, it was given a special status as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very important historical structure. After a newer bridge, the Prince of Wales Bridge, was built, the Severn Bridge became part of the M48 motorway.

Building the Severn Bridge

Construction of the Severn Bridge

People first thought about building a bridge across the Severn River way back in 1824. Thomas Telford, a famous engineer, suggested it to help mail coaches travel faster between London and Wales. But nothing happened then because railways became more popular for long journeys.

Later, in the early 1900s, more cars were on the roads, and people wanted a bridge again. In 1935, local councils tried to get permission to build it, but the plan was stopped by a railway company.

After World War II, the government decided to build a network of main roads, and a Severn Bridge was finally planned. Construction started in 1961. The government decided that drivers would pay a small fee, called a toll, to cross the bridge. This money would help cover the building costs. Walking or cycling across the bridge was always free. The bridge was finished in 1966.

Keeping the Bridge Strong

In 1977, engineers found some weaknesses in the bridge. Traffic had to be limited to one lane in each direction for several months while repairs were made. In the late 1980s, the bridge was made even stronger because more and more heavy traffic was using it. They strengthened the towers and replaced some of the original cables.

In 2006, the bridge was checked for rust on its main cables. To stop the rust, a special system was installed between 2007 and 2009. This system uses rubber covers and dry air to protect the cables. Now, very heavy trucks are limited to one lane on the bridge.

Parts of the Severn Crossing

The Severn Bridge crossing is actually made up of four main parts. From England to Wales, they are: the Aust Viaduct, the Severn Bridge itself, the Beachley Viaduct, and the Wye Bridge. These parts are so important that they have been given special "listed" status.

Aust Viaduct

The Aust Viaduct is about 157 meters (514 feet) long. It's a strong structure that carries the road from the top of Aust Cliff to the start of the main Severn Bridge.

The Main Severn Bridge

The Severn Bridge

The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge. This means its road deck hangs from two main cables, which are supported by two tall steel towers. These main cables are incredibly long – if you stretched out all the wires inside them, they would go for about 29,000 kilometers (18,000 miles)! Each cable is made of 8,322 individual wires.

Unlike most suspension bridges, the cables that hold up the deck are arranged in a zig-zag pattern. This helps to reduce shaking and vibrations. The bridge is about 1.6 kilometers (5,240 feet) long. The main part between the towers is about 988 meters (3,240 feet) long. The towers themselves are about 136 meters (445 feet) tall. The road deck is shaped like an airplane wing, which helps it deal with strong winds. It also has special paths for bikes and walkers.

Beachley Viaduct

Beachley Viaduct stretching over Beachley Barracks. The Wye Bridge is in the background

The Beachley Viaduct is about 745 meters (2,444 feet) long. It's built similarly to the Severn Bridge but rests on steel supports. It crosses over the Beachley peninsula, where the British Army has a camp called Beachley Barracks.

Wye Bridge

The Wye Bridge

The Wye Bridge (or Pont Gwy in Welsh) is about 408 meters (1,340 feet) long. It's a cable-stayed bridge, which means its deck is held up by cables that go directly from the deck to tall towers. This bridge crosses the River Wye, which marks the border between England and Wales. The Wye Bridge was also strengthened over time, and its original cables were replaced with new ones.

Bridge Tolls

For many years, drivers had to pay a toll to cross the Severn Bridge. The toll was only collected when driving from England into Wales. This led some people to joke that it was a "tax on entering Wales."

Originally, tolls were charged in both directions, but this was changed in the early 1990s to make traffic flow smoother. This way, there was only one set of toll booths.

A Welsh poet named Harri Webb even wrote a short poem about the tolls:

Two lands at last connected
Across the waters wide
And all the tolls collected
On the English side

When the bridge first opened in 1966, the toll for a car was 2 shillings and 6 pence (about £0.125 today). This was much cheaper than taking the ferry. Over the years, the tolls increased many times.

Tolls Become Free

In 2016, the government announced that the tolls would be cut in half in 2018. Then, in July 2017, it was announced that the tolls would be completely removed by the end of 2018! This was seen as a way to help the economy in South Wales.

On December 17, 2018, all the toll booths were permanently closed. This meant that for the first time since the bridge was built, it was free to drive into Wales across the Severn Bridge. The toll booths were then removed, and the road was resurfaced.

Who Owns the Bridge?

In 1992, a company called Severn River Crossing plc took over the ownership and operation of the bridge. This was part of a deal to build the Second Severn Crossing. This company was owned by several different groups, including a British developer, a French construction company, and two large banks.

However, on January 8, 2018, the ownership of both the Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing went back to the UK government. This happened because the company had collected enough money from tolls to cover the costs of building and maintaining the bridges, as agreed in their contract.

Bridge Closures and Status

Sometimes, the Severn bridges have to close. For example, in 2009, both bridges were closed at the same time because ice was falling from the structure and could damage cars.

There used to be a website where you could check the status of the bridges, but it was closed after the tolls were removed and the government took over.

Images for kids

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  From left to right: Wye Bridge, Beachley Viaduct, Severn Bridge and Aust Viaduct

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  Wye bridge (left) and Severn bridge (right), seen from the southwest

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  The westbound carriageway toll collection area, later demolished, on the M48 motorway, shown in 2006

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  On the bridge walkway, looking towards Wales

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  The Severn Estuary
  the Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing

Monuments and Plaques

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  Plaque to commemorate the men who lost their lives in building the bridge

• 

  Monument showing the architects and constructors etc. of the bridge

• 

  The bridge won a Civic Trust Award in 1968

• 

  The bridge was dedicated to peace as part of the Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms programme in 1991

See also

In Spanish: Puente del Severn para niños

• List of crossings of the River Severn
• List of crossings of the River Wye
• Aust Severn Powerline Crossing