Acton swing bridge explained

Bridge Name:Acton swing bridge
Carries:Road traffic
Crosses:River Weaver
Locale:Cheshire, England
Design:Swing truss bridge
Material:Steel
Length:83.5m (274feet)
Builder:John Arthur Saner (design)
Coordinates:53.2799°N -2.6007°W

The Acton swing bridge is a swing bridge spanning the River Weaver in the village of Acton Bridge in north Cheshire, England. First operated in 1933, it carries the A49 trunk road.

History

The bridge is 83.5 m long and 8 m high bowstring truss balanced swing bridge, based on an 1893 design by John Arthur Saner.[1] [2] It has two slightly skew spans of 25 m each, with the twin riveted steel trusses supported on a mass concrete pontoon chamber.

Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation:21 & 22 Geo. 5. c. xxiii
Royal Assent:11 June 1931
Original Text:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/21-22/23/pdfs/ukla_19310023_en.pdf
Collapsed:yes

It was built in an open position between 1931 and 1933 at a cost of £52,000, shutting for the first time on 10 August 1933.[3] The current bridge replaced an older stone bridge which had been able to carry only one line of traffic with an axle weight limit of 8 tons (the first bridge across the Weaver at this point was built in 1751). The current bridge is approximately 100 m north (downstream) of the old bridge's abutments, visible on the river banks from the Leigh Arms car park.[4]

It has been subject to periodic strengthening (e.g. in 1987) and repair (e.g. in 2015).[5] Today the structure of the bridge is maintained by the Canal & River Trust; Cheshire West and Chester Council is responsible for maintaining the A49 road which it carries.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Acton Swing Bridge. Bridge Design and Assessment. 30 August 2016.
  2. Web site: Merseyside Bridges: 9. Acton Swing Bridge. The Happy Pontist. 30 August 2016.
  3. Web site: 23-Acton Bridge - Weaver Navigation. Movable Bridges in the British Isles. 30 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Acton Swing Bridge. Heritage Locations. Transport Trust. 30 August 2016.
  5. Web site: Essential repair work to Acton Swing Bridge. Canal River Trust. 30 August 2016.