Albert Bridge, Belfast

Last updated

A view of Albert Bridge facing towards the shipyards, 2006 Albert Bridge, Belfast.jpg
A view of Albert Bridge facing towards the shipyards, 2006

Albert Bridge is a bridge in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Its three flat arches span the River Lagan. It was completed in 1890 by Belfast city surveyor J C Bretland [1] and is named after Prince Albert Victor. It is located close to the city centre between East Bridge Street and the Albertbridge Road.

Contents

History

The previous bridge on this site was a privately owned five span masonry bridge which was built in 1831. It was officially called Lagan Bridge, although it was known as Halfpenny Bridge due to the toll charged. It was subsequently renamed to Albert Bridge after Queen Victoria's husband. In 1860 it was acquired by the Belfast Corporation, which abolished the toll. [2] In 1886 two arches of the bridge collapsed, [3] causing a single fatality. A temporary wooden bridge was erected until the completion of the replacement bridge. This new bridge was designed by Mr J. C. Bretland, the Borough Surveyor of Belfast at the time, and was constructed by Messrs Henry of Belfast on behalf of Belfast Corporation, at a cost of £36,500. All of the cast iron including the decorative lampposts were made in Derby by Andrew Handyside & Co. It was opened in 1890 and the name Albert Bridge was kept, but now in honour of Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, who had laid a foundation stone in 1889. [4]

Restoration

In 1998 the first phase of work on the bridge was carried out by Roads Service, involving replacing, strengthening and waterproofing the concrete bridge deck. The second phase replaced corroded wrought iron structural members supporting the bridge deck with new structural steel members. The final phase, in autumn 2001, involved the removal of existing paint and rust and application of a new paint system for corrosion protection, which should ensure no repainting will be needed for the next 15 years. Floodlighting was also being installed. Total cost of restoration was about £1 million. [4]

The original drawings and sketches of the bridge from 1888 had been passed to Roads Service from Belfast Corporation at the time of local government reorganisation in 1973. The drawings were used for information on the works connected with the bridge and passed to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in 2001. [4]

Next bridge upstream River Lagan Next bridge downstream
Ormeau Bridge Albert Bridge Lagan Railway Bridge

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Jolly Bridge</span> Bridge in Queensland, Australia

The William Jolly Bridge is a heritage-listed road bridge over the Brisbane River between North Quay in the Brisbane central business district and Grey Street in South Brisbane, within City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Harding Frew and built from 1928 to 1932 by MR Hornibrook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battersea Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Thames in London

Battersea Bridge is a five-span arch bridge with cast-iron girders and granite piers crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north. The bridge replaced a ferry service that had operated near the site since at least the middle of the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Bridge (Montreal)</span> Bridge over the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec

The Victoria Bridge, previously known as Victoria Jubilee Bridge, is a bridge over the St. Lawrence River, linking Montreal, Quebec, to the south shore city of Saint-Lambert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Bridge</span> Bridge over the River Thames in west London

Chelsea Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in west London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank, and split between the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. There have been two Chelsea Bridges, on the site of what was an ancient ford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barwon River (Victoria)</span> Perennial river in Victoria, Australia

The Barwon River is a perennial river of the Corangamite catchment, located in The Otways and the Bellarine Peninsula regions of the Australian state of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Level Bridge, River Tyne</span> Road-rail bridge in Tyneside, England

The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. It is considered the most notable historical engineering work in the city. It was built by the Hawks family from 5,050 tons of iron. George Hawks, Mayor of Gateshead, drove in the last key of the structure on 7 June 1849, and the bridge was officially opened by Queen Victoria later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Bridge, London</span> Bridge over the River Thames in London

Albert Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames connecting Chelsea in Central London on the north bank to Battersea on the south. Designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish in 1873 as an Ordish–Lefeuvre system modified cable-stayed bridge, it proved to be structurally unsound, so between 1884 and 1887 Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated some of the design elements of a suspension bridge. In 1973 the Greater London Council added two concrete piers, which transformed the central span into a simple beam bridge. As a result, today the bridge is an unusual hybrid of three different design styles. It is an English Heritage Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Jubilee Bridge</span> Bridge in northwest England

The Silver Jubilee Bridge crosses the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal at Runcorn Gap between Runcorn and Widnes in Halton, England. It is a through arch bridge with a main arch span of 361 yards. It was opened in 1961 as a replacement for the Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge. In 1975–77 the carriageway was widened, after which the bridge was given its official name in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. It carries the A533 road and a cantilevered footway. The bridge is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. The bridge was closed to vehicles for refurbishment upon the opening of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge, but reopened as a toll bridge in February 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3 motorway (Northern Ireland)</span> Motorway in Northern Ireland

The M3 is an urban motorway 0.8 miles (1.3 km) in length owned by Siac Construction and Cintra, S.A. that connects the M2 in north Belfast, Northern Ireland to the A2 Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast. It is the shortest motorway in Northern Ireland, and one of the busiest, carrying 60,000 vehicles per day as of 2005. It has a permanent speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Iron Bridge</span> Bridge across the River Severn in Shropshire, England

The Iron Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge that crosses the River Severn in Shropshire, England. Opened in 1781, it was the first major bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. Its success inspired the widespread use of cast iron as a structural material, and today the bridge is celebrated as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagan Weir</span>

The Lagan Weir, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, crosses the River Lagan between the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and the M3 cross-harbour bridge. Prior to the building of the weir, the river would be subject to tidal fluctuations, and low tide would expose mudflats, which were unsightly and emitted a strong odour, particularly in the summer months. Opened in 1994, the weir was seen by the Laganside Corporation as a catalyst for its redevelopment projects and was judged to be the "centrepiece" of that effort. The weir also incorporates a footbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Bridge, Belfast</span>

Queen's Bridge is a B+ listed Victorian stone arch bridge in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It opened to traffic in 1843 and is named after Queen Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's Market</span>

St George's Market is the last surviving Victorian covered market in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located on May Street, close to the River Lagan and the Waterfront Hall. Belfast Corporation commissioned the building of St George's Market, which was built in three phases between 1890 and 1896. Before 1890 St George's Market was an open market and most likely contained a slaughterhouse and a meat market. Today it is a thriving market with 300 traders, crafters, musicians, and food vendors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Edward Bridge</span> Railway bridge in Shropshire, England.

The Albert Edward Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Bridge, Worcestershire</span> Bridge crossing the River Severn in Worcestershire, England

The Victoria Bridge crosses the River Severn between Arley and Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. At the time of its construction, the 200-foot railway bridge was the longest single span cast iron bridge in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantlop Bridge</span> Bridge in Cantlop, Shropshire

Cantlop Bridge is a single span cast-iron road bridge over the Cound Brook, located to the north of Cantlop in the parish of Berrington, Shropshire. It was constructed in 1818 to a design possibly by Thomas Telford, having at least been approved by him, and replaced an unsuccessful cast iron coach bridge constructed in 1812. The design of the bridge was innovative for the period, using a light-weight design of cast-iron lattice ribs to support the road deck in a single span, and appears to be a scaled-down version of a Thomas Telford bridge at Meole Brace, Shropshire. The bridge is the only surviving Telford-approved cast-iron bridge in Shropshire, and is a Grade II* listed building and scheduled monument. It originally carried the turnpike road from Shrewsbury to Acton Burnell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Bridge, Glasgow</span>

The Albert Bridge is a road bridge that spans the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland, near Glasgow Green. The bridge opened in 1871. It links the Saltmarket in the city centre with Crown Street on the city’s south side. It is category A listed, and named after Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Suspension Bridge</span>

The Wellington Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing the River Dee from Ferryhill to Craiglug in Aberdeen, north east Scotland. Designed by Captain Samuel Brown and the Aberdeen City Architect John Smith, it was opened to pedestrians in November 1830 and to traffic in May 1831. The chain bridge was closed in 1984 to vehicles and then pedestrians in 2002, but was restored in 2006/07 and pedestrian use was re-instated in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagan Railway Bridge</span> Bridge in Belfast

Lagan Railway Bridge is a railway and pedestrian bridge across the River Lagan in Belfast, slightly north of Belfast Central railway station. The next bridge upstream is the Albert Bridge, whilst the next downstream is Queen's Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaw's Bridge</span>

Shaw's Bridge is the name given to two adjacent bridges across the River Lagan in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The older of the bridges is a historic stone arched bridge, which is open to cyclists and pedestrians. The new bridge is a concrete bridge which carries the A55 road.

References

  1. Central Belfast, A Historical Gazetteer, Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993, p4
  2. "Home | Buildings| nidirect". apps.communities-ni.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  3. Barry, Michael (1985). Across Deep Waters. Bridges of Ireland . Frankfort Press, Dublin. p.  118.
  4. 1 2 3 "Campbell hands over original Albert Bridge Drawings". Department for Regional Development News Release. 20 September 2001. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2007.

Coordinates: 54°35′44.52″N5°54′49.52″W / 54.5957000°N 5.9137556°W / 54.5957000; -5.9137556