Menai Suspension Bridge

53.219722222222 - 4.1630555555556Koordinaten: 53 ° 13 '11 "N, 4 ° 9' 47 " W

F1

London - Holyhead

Menai

The Menai Bridge is a chain bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. It connects the towns of Bangor and Menai Bridge.

Prior to the completion of the bridge in 1826 there was a ferry or walk across the mud flats at low tide to reach the offshore island. After the Act of Union in 1800, the contractual association of Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain, the trade grew rapidly between the two countries. Since the main connection port of Holyhead on Anglesey is however, it was decided to connect this island with a bridge to the mainland.

The British architect Thomas Telford was entrusted with the task of improving the road link from London to Holyhead. A key element of the measure was to build a suspension bridge across the Menai Strait between Bangor on the mainland and the former village Porthaethwy on Anglesey, which is known under the name of Menai Bridge today. In order not to obstruct the passage of the sailing ships, the bridge for a clearance height of 30 m has been designed.

Creation of the bridge

Construction of the bridge began in 1819 with the creation of the brick towers on both sides of the strait. After the completion of 16 chain cables were drawn in between the pillars, whose members consisted of 935 eyes rods. As a corrosion protection for the cable linseed oil was used. On 30 January 1826, the bridge was opened, shortening the journey from London to Holyhead by 9 hours. Since the suspension bridge because of its span of 176 m all bridges previously created surpassed this type of construction, the Menai Bridge as the first modern suspension bridge in the world is called. The Welsh poet David Owen dedicated his 1835 epic poem.

Repair the bridge

Due to wind damage the roadway of the bridge required extensive repair work in 1839, and in 1893 the wooden ceiling was replaced with a blanket of iron girders. Over the years, the limited to 4.5 t load capacity of the bridge proved to be too small for the increasing demands of transportation, so that the iron girders of the road were replaced with steel beams. In 1999, the bridge for repair work for a month has been locked and redirected the traffic via the nearby Britannia Bridge.

In 2002, the bridge of the American Society of Civil Engineers was included in the List of International Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. In 2005, the recording of the bridge has been applied for in the list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.