George Street Bridge, Newport
George Street Bridge is a crossing of the River Usk in the community of Victoria in Newport, South Wales. It is a Grade II* listed structure.[1]
George Street Bridge | |
|---|---|
 George Street Bridge as seen from the promenade at Powell's Town Wharf on the west bank | |
| Coordinates | 51.5842°N 2.9844°W |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians |
| Crosses | River Usk |
| Locale | Newport |
| Official name | George Street Bridge |
| Maintained by | Newport City Council |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Width | Four-lane carriageway, two cycle/footpaths (total 84 feet / 25½ metres) |
| Height | 171 feet (52 metres) |
| Longest span | 500 feet (152 metres) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Mott, Hay & Anderson |
| Construction start | 1962 |
| Opened | 9 April 1964 |
| |
Opening
It was opened on 9 April 1964 and is the first cable-stayed bridge in the United Kingdom.
Before its opening in 1964 the only crossings of the river Usk in central Newport were the Newport Bridge carrying the main A48 road and Newport Transporter Bridge.
Many grand names were proposed for the bridge but it was eventually named after the relatively small George Street on the western bank of the River Usk.
Planning
Originally the bridge was planned to be six lanes wide, but with the M4 motorway Usk bridge already planned further upstream it was reduced to four lanes.
Continuing developments
On completion, the A48 route was diverted over the new bridge, making it the preferred route for through traffic. However, in 2004 the new City Bridge on the Southern Distributor Road further downstream became the preferred route and assumed the route number.
References
- "George Street Bridge, Victoria". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
