The Transporter Bridge's 100th Birthday Fireworks - Part 1 (1080HD)

There was a good turnout to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of our iconic local landmarks... The Transporter Bridge.

We were on the Port Clarence side (north shore) of the Tees wrapped up against the cold October breeze. A lot of folks had gathered along the embankment to watch the fireworks finale (of a grand theatrical show that had been put on at Middlesbrough Collage on the south shore). After seeing the posts on Flickr today, I realised that many of the dark figures must have been fellow Flickrites! Though I only caught Kane Young briefly to say 'Hi'. The fireworks display was fairly spectacular. The fireworks combined with the light show where stunning, definitely made it worth the effort & cold.

Photos I took - http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewsphotos/tags/100/show/

Part 2 of the fireworks video - http://youtu.be/Jfv9WKbzgnI?hd=1

The Bridge will still be lit up every night from 8.30pm, for more details visit
http://www.lovemiddlesbrough.com/light


:~,)))

Some history from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_Transporter_Bridge

"The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge or Tees Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from the bridge, across the river in 90 seconds. The gondola can carry 200 people, 9 cars, or 6 cars and one minibus. It carries the A178 Middlesbrough to Hartlepool road. Locally the bridge is simply known as the Transporter.

The bridge was built at a cost of £68,026 6s 8d (£5,330,000 as of 2011), by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow between 1910 and 1911 to replace an earlier steam ferry. A transporter bridge was chosen because Parliament ruled that the new scheme of crossing the river had to avoid affecting the river navigation. The opening ceremony on the 17 October 1911 was performed by Prince Arthur of Connaught.

The Tees Transporter Bridge has an overall length (including cantilevers) of 851 feet (259 m), leaving a span between the centres of the towers of 580 feet (180 m), the beam of the bridge being carried at a height of 160 feet (49 m) above the road. This combined with an overall height of 225 feet (69 m), makes this bridge the second largest example remaining in the world; the largest being the bridge across the River Usk, at Newport in South Wales.

During World War II the superstructure of the bridge was hit by a bomb. In 1953, the gondola got stuck half-way. While it was stuck, gale force winds lashed water to within inches of it. However, despite this the Gondola and The Transporter Bridge are still running in perfect order.

In 1974, the comedy actor Terry Scott, travelling between his hotel in Middlesbrough and a performance at the Billingham Forum, mistook the bridge for a regular toll crossing and drove his car off the end of the roadway, landing in the safety netting beneath.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Birthday
• Transporter
• Bridge
• 100
• fireworks
• middlesbrough
• cleveland
• Gondola