Aerial view of Pembroke Dock Neyland waterways & Cleddau bridge Pembrokeshire seascape National Coast Wales UK. 053908 Aerial
Image details
Contributor:
DV Aerial / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
BNND88File size:
31.8 MB (2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
4080 x 2720 px | 34.5 x 23 cm | 13.6 x 9.1 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
20 June 2005Location:
Neyland, South Pembrokeshire, Wales UKMore information:
The Cleddau Bridge in Pembrokeshire, Wales, carries the A477 road over the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock. Errors in the box girder design caused the collapse during construction in 1970. The bridge became operational during 1975. The bridge is managed by Pembrokeshire County Council. Pembrokeshire is divided by the Cleddau. Hobbs Point in Pembroke Dock on the south side and Neyland on the north side are less than 1 mile (1.6 km) apart across the waterway but to drive from one to the other, a journey of 28 miles (45 km) by road was required. A decision was taken in the 1960s to replace the ferry service: two bridges would be required, one crossing the Cleddau and a smaller bridge to the north of Neyland crossing Westfield Pill creek. Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners and Freeman Fox and Partners were appointed as joint consulting engineers and the contract to build the bridge was awarded to A.E. Farr Limited in September 1968 for £2.1 million. The project was expected to be completed by March 1971 but on 2 June 1970 a 230-foot cantilever being used to put one of the 150-tonne sections into position collapsed on the south side of the estuary. Four workers died and five were injured. Construction was halted until October 1972. The final cost of construction was £11.83 million and the bridge was opened to traffic on 20 March 1975. The £7 million of overspend was attributed to design changes made due to the Merrison Committee's recommendations. This was covered by a £3 million out-of-court settlement between the County Council and the consulting engineers and a £4 million interest-free loan from the Government that was repayable over 40 years. 885, 900 crossings were made during the bridge's first year in operation. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge. The ferry service between Hobbs Point and Neyland ceased when the construction of the Cleddau Bridge was completed in 1975.