Road to Canakkale
Menai Bridge
1826
Thomas Telford designed and built all types of infrastructure; from churches to castles, canals to harbours, tunnels to roads and bridges. Menai Bridge was probably Telford’s most acclaimed achievement. It was the first iron suspension bridge of its kind in the world and it established the potential of suspension bridge technology to achieve both long and high spans. Telford designed the central span of the roadway, 176m long and 30m above water level, to be carried by 16 wrought-iron chains, each made of 935 iron bars (since replaced by steel chains).
The bridge was a massive improvement in communication, not only for the people travelling to Ireland via Holyhead, but also for the locals. For the first time, they could cross with their livestock to and from the mainland without fear of perishing in the fast-flowing, dangerous waters of the Menai Strait.
Grand Pont Suspendu
1834
NEED COPY Thomas Telford designed and built all types of infrastructure; from churches to castles, canals to harbours, tunnels to roads and bridges. Menai Bridge was probably Telford’s most acclaimed achievement. It was the first iron suspension bridge of its kind in the world and it established the potential of suspension bridge technology to achieve both long and high spans. Telford designed the central span of the roadway, 176m long and 30m above water level, to be carried by 16 wrought-iron chains, each made of 935 iron bars (since replaced by steel chains).
The bridge was a massive improvement in communication, not only for the people travelling to Ireland via Holyhead, but also for the locals. For the first time, they could cross with their livestock to and from the mainland without fear of perishing in the fast-flowing, dangerous waters of the Menai Strait.
Brooklyn Bridge
1883
Thomas Telford designed and built all types of infrastructure; from churches to castles, canals to harbours, tunnels to roads and bridges. Menai Bridge was probably Telford’s most acclaimed achievement. It was the first iron suspension bridge of its kind in the world and it established the potential of suspension bridge technology to achieve both long and high spans. Telford designed the central span of the roadway, 176m long and 30m above water level, to be carried by 16 wrought-iron chains, each made of 935 iron bars (since replaced by steel chains).
The bridge was a massive improvement in communication, not only for the people travelling to Ireland via Holyhead, but also for the locals. For the first time, they could cross with their livestock to and from the mainland without fear of perishing in the fast-flowing, dangerous waters of the Menai Strait.
Golden Gate Bridge
1937
Perhaps the world’s most famous bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. There is a narrow strait where San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean and in 1937 this was bridged to became the longest main span bridge in the world. It is estimated that 10 million people visit the bridge each year to marvel at its scale and engineering.
There was a growing desire at the start of the 20th century to connect the expanding city of San Francisco to its neighbours across the bay. The chief engineer tasked with constructing a bridge was Joseph Strauss, and he had a talented team who designed and engineered the structure. Leon Moisseiff presented the suspension bridge design, Irving Morrow the art deco towers and Charles Ellis was the structural engineer.
Severn Bridge
1966
Dr William (Bill) Brown was the principal designer working with Sir Gilbert Roberts and the Freeman Fox & Partners team on the Severn Bridge. He is credited with designing the innovative aerodynamic box girder deck, which superseded the complex trusses used on earlier major suspension bridges in the UK (Forth Road Bridge) and the USA.
Bridges all over the world are descended from the design and engineering of the Severn Bridge.
Messina Straits Crossing
Proposed 19XX
Bill Brown’s career in bridge design and engineering reached a fitting conclusion when he became head designer for the proposed Messina Strait Bridge from Italy to Sicily. He devised an ultra-long 3,300m single-span suspension bridge with an innovative multi-box deck to carry two rail tracks and six lanes for traffic.
He had been seriously considering the span for over 10 years and had made thousands of sketches and calculations and wind tunnel tests. In 1989 he committed all of his creative energy and engineering knowledge to producing 54 master design drawings for the bridge span.
Çanakkale Dardanelles Crossing
Due to open in 2023
In 2022 there will be a new world record for the longest main-span suspension bridge. After decades of planning and four years of construction the 1915Çanakkale Bridge over the Dardanelles Strait in north west Turkey will open for traffic. At 2,023m main span it will succeed the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan and be a glorious celebration of the development of Turkey.
The official opening will be in 2023 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey. It will also be the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Bosphorus Bridge (18th July Martyrs’ Bridge) in Istanbul, the first bridge to link Europe and Asia.
If someone asks you: What is the world’s longest span bridge? You will soon be able to say: “the 1915Çanakkale Bridge over the Dardanelles Strait”.