The Famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel is located between the suburb of Clifton (where we stayed initially with Dan and Brenna) and Ashton Court, where the Balloon Fiesta and various other events are held. It is amazing to see the height of the structure, and the impressive span, considering this was completed in 1864.From the Clifton Suspension Bridge website:
Its story began in 1754 with the dream of a Bristol wine merchant who left a legacy to build a bridge over the Gorge.
The first competition in 1829 was judged by Thomas Telford, the leading civil engineer of the day. Telford rejected all the designs and submitted his own but the decision to declare him the winner was unpopular and a second competition was held in 1830. 24 year old Isambard Kingdom Brunel was eventually declared the winner and appointed project engineer – his first major commission.
The foundation stone was laid in 1831 but the project was dogged with political and financial difficulties and by 1843, with only the towers completed, the project was abandoned.
Brunel died prematurely aged 53 yrs in 1859 but the Bridge was completed as his memorial and finally opened in 1864. Designed in the early 19th century for light horse drawn traffic it still meets the demands of 21st century commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor vehicles crossing it every day.
More info on construction techniques and dimensions, etc., can be found at this website:
http://www.clifton-suspension-bridge.org.uk/
It is now a toll operated bridge, and it is closed during major events near the bridge to reduce the wear and tear on the structure. They even close it to pedestrian traffic for these events, as we found out preparing to get to the Bristol Balloon Fiesta!
1 comment:
Clifton Bridge is one of my favorite parts of Bristol. It has an amazing view at night when it is all lit up. Keep the posts coming!!!
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