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St. Julian's railway bridge facts for kids

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St Julian's railway bridge
Railway bridge over the River Usk near Caerleon - geograph.org.uk - 1280993.jpg
St. Julian's railway bridge looking south.
Carries Railway
Crosses River Usk
Locale Newport
Maintained by Network Rail
Characteristics
Width Double standard-gauge (4 foot 8½ inch) track

The St. Julian's railway bridge is a special bridge in Newport, South Wales. It crosses the River Usk. This bridge carries the Welsh Marches Line, which is a railway track. It runs north to south. Most other bridges over the Usk in this area go east to west.

The bridge first opened in 1874. It was built for the Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway. The bridge has four brick arches. It also has four sections made of strong metal called wrought iron. These sections are like a criss-cross pattern. The bridge carries two railway lines over the river. It has been repaired and made stronger several times. This happened in the 1960s and again in the early 2010s.

Building the St. Julian's Bridge

The St. Julian's railway bridge was built for a railway company. This company was called the Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway. They needed a way for their trains to cross the River Usk. So, they built this bridge. It was finished in 1874.

Keeping the Bridge Strong

This important bridge has been repaired many times. In the 1960s, a big project made the bridge much stronger. This work was done by British Rail, which was the main railway company at the time.

Later, around 2010, experts checked the bridge again. They found it needed more work to stay strong. Network Rail, which looks after railway tracks today, planned these repairs. For about six months in 2014, workers fixed the bridge's metal parts and stone sections. They added extra support to make the main deck even stronger. A main goal was to help the bridge carry more trains safely. During these repairs, they also made sure that boats could still pass under the bridge easily.

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