Cleddau Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Cleddau Bridge is a toll bridge on the A477 road
that spans the River Cleddau
between Neyland
and Pembroke Dock
, Wales
. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge, Due to errors in the box girder
design it collapsed during construction in 1970 and did not become operational until 1975.
Toll booths are located on the Pembroke Dock side of the bridge. As of June 2007 the toll is £0.75 for cars & vans and £1.50 for buses and lorries over 2 tonnes; cycles and pedestrians are free of charge.
Despite the income from the tolls there is an excess in spending of about £600,000 per year, which led to calls of the bridge being adopted by the Welsh Assembly and the tolls being scrapped.
on the south side and Neyland
on the north side were less than 1 miles (1.6 km) apart across the water but a 28 miles (45.1 km) journey was required to travel between them via road. Between 1858 and 1950 the Admiralty permitted operation of steam ferries between the two towns. From 1950 to 1975, the County Council operated a ferry service, with capacity for 24 vehicles and 250 pedestrians. A decision was taken in the 1960s to replace the ferry service with a bridge. Two bridges would be built, the main Cleddau Bridge covering the Cleddau river and smaller bridge to cross the Westfield Pill creek
. Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners and Freeman Fox and Partners (now part of Hyder Consulting
) were appointed as joint consulting engineers and the contract to build the bridge was awarded to A.E. Farr Limited in September 1968 for £2.1 million.
The bridge was expected to be completed by March 1971, however on 2 June 1970 a 70 m (229.7 ft) cantilever being used to put one of the 150-ton sections into position collapsed on the Pembroke Dock-side of the estuary. Four workers died and five were injured. Construction was halted until October 1972. The Merrison Committee of Inquiry into the Design and Erection of Steel Box Girder Bridges concluded that the cause of the collapse was the inadequacy of the design of a pier support diaphragm (a diaphragm of half the designed thickness was used), but considered "the failure of site organisation between the parties as of more general significance". The committee believed that the only relevant Code of Practice relating to the design of steel bridges in the UK was inadequate for applications such as the Cleddau Bridge, and they implemented Interim Design and Workmanship Rules. These rules lay the groundwork for a new British Standard covering box girder bridge design. As of 2007, the collapse during construction is regarded as the last major bridge disaster in the UK.
Construction was eventually finished, at a final cost of £11.83 million, and the bridge opened to traffic on 20 March 1975. £7 million of the overspend was attributed to design changes made due to the Merrison Committee's recommendations. This was covered by a £3 million out-of-court settlement between the County Council and the consulting engineers and a £4 million interest-free loan from the Government that was repayable over 40 years. 885,900 crossing were made during the bridge's first year in operation.
A477 road
The A477 road is a major route in the Welsh counties of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, connecting St Clears and Johnston. It includes a toll bridge, the Cleddau Bridge between Pembroke Dock and Neyland....
that spans the River Cleddau
River Cleddau
The River Cleddau consists of the Eastern and Western Cleddau rivers in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. They unite to form the Daugleddau estuary, which forms the important harbour of Milford Haven....
between Neyland
Neyland
Neyland is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Cleddau and the upstream end of the Milford Haven estuary. The nearby Cleddau Bridge crosses the river, linking Neyland to Pembroke Dock.-History:...
and Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge, Due to errors in the box girder
Box girder bridge
A box girder bridge is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises either prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and reinforced concrete. The box is typically rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section...
design it collapsed during construction in 1970 and did not become operational until 1975.
Toll booths are located on the Pembroke Dock side of the bridge. As of June 2007 the toll is £0.75 for cars & vans and £1.50 for buses and lorries over 2 tonnes; cycles and pedestrians are free of charge.
Despite the income from the tolls there is an excess in spending of about £600,000 per year, which led to calls of the bridge being adopted by the Welsh Assembly and the tolls being scrapped.
History
Prior to the bridge, the river Cleddau divided Pembrokeshire into two halves. The towns of Pembroke DockPembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
on the south side and Neyland
Neyland
Neyland is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Cleddau and the upstream end of the Milford Haven estuary. The nearby Cleddau Bridge crosses the river, linking Neyland to Pembroke Dock.-History:...
on the north side were less than 1 miles (1.6 km) apart across the water but a 28 miles (45.1 km) journey was required to travel between them via road. Between 1858 and 1950 the Admiralty permitted operation of steam ferries between the two towns. From 1950 to 1975, the County Council operated a ferry service, with capacity for 24 vehicles and 250 pedestrians. A decision was taken in the 1960s to replace the ferry service with a bridge. Two bridges would be built, the main Cleddau Bridge covering the Cleddau river and smaller bridge to cross the Westfield Pill creek
Creek (tidal)
A tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...
. Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners and Freeman Fox and Partners (now part of Hyder Consulting
Hyder Consulting
Hyder Consulting is a multi-national advisory and design consultancy with particular specialisation in the transport, property, utilities and environmental sectors. The firm employs approximately 4,200 people across the UK, Europe, Germany, Middle East, Asia and Australia and has been listed on the...
) were appointed as joint consulting engineers and the contract to build the bridge was awarded to A.E. Farr Limited in September 1968 for £2.1 million.
The bridge was expected to be completed by March 1971, however on 2 June 1970 a 70 m (229.7 ft) cantilever being used to put one of the 150-ton sections into position collapsed on the Pembroke Dock-side of the estuary. Four workers died and five were injured. Construction was halted until October 1972. The Merrison Committee of Inquiry into the Design and Erection of Steel Box Girder Bridges concluded that the cause of the collapse was the inadequacy of the design of a pier support diaphragm (a diaphragm of half the designed thickness was used), but considered "the failure of site organisation between the parties as of more general significance". The committee believed that the only relevant Code of Practice relating to the design of steel bridges in the UK was inadequate for applications such as the Cleddau Bridge, and they implemented Interim Design and Workmanship Rules. These rules lay the groundwork for a new British Standard covering box girder bridge design. As of 2007, the collapse during construction is regarded as the last major bridge disaster in the UK.
Construction was eventually finished, at a final cost of £11.83 million, and the bridge opened to traffic on 20 March 1975. £7 million of the overspend was attributed to design changes made due to the Merrison Committee's recommendations. This was covered by a £3 million out-of-court settlement between the County Council and the consulting engineers and a £4 million interest-free loan from the Government that was repayable over 40 years. 885,900 crossing were made during the bridge's first year in operation.
