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All the United Kingdom England Middlesbrough Tees Transporter Bridge

Tees Transporter Bridge

Built in 1911, the Tees Transporter Bridge is one of only six transporter bridges still in operation.

Middlesbrough, England

Added By
DangVarmint
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Tees Transporter Bridge   Dario Sušanj on Flickr
Tees Transporter Bridge   Dario Sušanj on Flickr
Admired from afar   Red Rose Exile on Flickr
Kinda looks like, what, a foal?   Matt Buck on Flickr
Presumably closed   Nick Bramhall on Flickr
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge Centenary Celebration Light show   andrewdaviesphotography / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
2018 Fares   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
on the day this photo was taken the bridge was closed due to high winds.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Photo taken 2018   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This remarkable structure spanning the River Tees might look like two cranes making out, but it is, in fact, a bridge — albeit one of unusual design.

The unique transporter bridge concept was first developed in 1873, and was designed to maximize waterway navigability. Instead of extending an entire roadway over a point of crossing, as typical bridges do, a transporter bridge suspends a small section of movable roadway by cables from the top of the bridge, and transports traffic by shuttling that bit of roadway back and forth, in the manner of a gondola. Thus, the clearance afforded by a transporter bridge is not limited by the height of the roadway.

Despite this novel approach to meeting the increasing demands of inland shipping during the industrial age, transporter bridges remained rare. The first wasn’t built until 1893; no more than two dozen have been built since then; only ten remain standing; and of those ten, only six remain operational. The Tees Transporter Bridge is one of those six.

In response to a 1907 Act of Parliament that called for a new way to cross the industrialized River Tees without affecting river navigation, construction on the bridge began in 1910. Connecting Middlesbrough on the south shore with Port Clarence on the north shore, the Tees Transporter Bridge — referred to colloquially as the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, simply as the Transporter, or affectionately as the Tranny — officially opened on October 17, 1911.

Since its opening, the bridge has not only been the further downstream bridge on the River Tees, but also the best-known landmark in Middlesbrough and an outstanding example of Edwardian engineering. In 1993 it received the highest honor awarded by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and in 2015 it was one of ten iconic British bridges featured in a set of postage stamps issued by the UK Post Office.

The bridge is liable to closure due to high winds, fog, heavy rains, and other severe weather — which, judging from local commentary, are not uncommon conditions in Middlesbrough. An 18-month, £4 million refurbishment project was completed in March 2015. The revamp included the installation of a glass elevator to the upper span of the bridge, and the creation of a visitor center.

Related Tags

Bridges Engineering Industrial Rivers

Community Contributors

Added By

DangVarmint

Edited By

RHyzer, Dr Alan P Newman, Collector of Experiences, Gavin...

  • RHyzer
  • Dr Alan P Newman
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Gavin
  • andrewdaviesphotography

Published

November 30, 2015

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Sources
  • http://bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/trans.html
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2007/08/09/360_transporter_bridge_feature.shtml
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-31787804
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tees_Transporter_Bridge
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_bridge
  • http://structurae.net/structures/middlesbrough-transporter-bridge
Tees Transporter Bridge
Ferry Road
Middlesbrough, England, TS2 1PL
United Kingdom
54.583699, -1.228986
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

'Temenos'

Middlesbrough, England

miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

England

Places 4

Nearby Places

'Temenos'

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miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

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