A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck.
9-499: The Tees Newport Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge spanning the River Tees a short distance upriver from Tees Transporter Bridge , linking Middlesbrough with the borough of Stockton-on-Tees , Northern England . It no longer lifts, but still acts as a road bridge in its permanently down position. Designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson and built by local company Dorman Long , who have also been responsible for such structures as
18-563: A section of the A1032, despite the presence of the A19 Tees Viaduct a short distance upriver. In recent years it was repainted in its original green and some minor maintenance took place on the wire ropes and counterbalances which still take the majority of the bridge load. In 1988 the bridge was given Grade II Listed Building status. In July 2014, work started to paint the bridge red and silver to mark its 80th anniversary. This
27-520: A standby 450 H.P. petrol engine could be employed to move the bridge, but should both systems fail it was possible to raise or lower the span manually using a winch mechanism. It was estimated in 1963 by Mr R. Batty, long time Bridge Master at Newport Bridge, that "it would take 12 men eight hours" to complete the movement by hand. The bridge was inaugurated by Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) and opened to traffic on 28 February 1934. Originally, 12 men would have been employed to man
36-525: The Tyne Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge , it was the first large vertical-lift bridge in Britain. Constructed around twin 55 m (180 ft) lifting towers, the 82 m (269 ft) bridge span, weighing 2,700 tonnes, could be lifted by the use of two 325 H.P. electric motors at 16 m (52 ft) per minute to a maximum height of 37 m (121 ft). In the event of motor failure
45-462: The bascule and swing-span bridges . Generally speaking, they cost less to build for longer moveable spans. The counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of the deck, whereas bascule bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the span being lifted. As a result, heavier materials can be used in the deck, and so this type of bridge is especially suited for heavy railroad use. The biggest disadvantage to
54-469: The bridge around the clock, usually requiring four to drive it at any one time. This was accomplished from the oak-panelled winding house situated midway along the bridge span. During the 1940s and early 1950s this would occur up to twice a day with an average of 800 vessels per year passing under it, despite staffing difficulties during the 1940s when men were away fighting. However, as the number of ships needing to sail up to Stockton-on-Tees declined, so did
63-401: The usage of the bridge. The legal requirement to lift the bridge for shipping traffic was removed in 1989 after the repeal of an act of Parliament. Before mechanical decommissioning Mr Ian MacDonald, who worked on the bridge from 1966, finally as Bridge Master, supervised the final lift on 18 November 1990. The Tees Newport Bridge still serves as a road bridge, carrying considerable traffic as
72-478: The vertical-lift bridge (in comparison with many other designs) is the height restriction for vessels passing under it, due to the deck remaining suspended above the passageway. Most vertical-lift bridges use towers, each equipped with counterweights. An example of this kind was built in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1912. Another design uses balance beams to lift the deck, with pivoting bascules located on
81-604: Was planned to take six weeks but was completed behind schedule and over budget mainly because of the poor condition of the steelwork, the result of lack of maintenance. As ships dock on the banks of the River Tees up to the Tees Newport Bridge the Admiralty publishes tide times for the bridge location. Vertical-lift bridge The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as
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