Princess of Wales Bridge

{{Infobox bridge

|bridge_name = Princess of Wales Bridge

|image = Princess of Wales Bridge from south bank upriver.jpg

|image_size = 250px

|caption = Princess of Wales Bridge

|official_name = Princess of Wales Bridge

|carries = Council of Europe Boulevard

|crosses = River Tees, Teesdale Way

|locale = Stockton-on-Tees, England

|maint =

|id =

|architect =

|designer =

|design = Slab and girder

|material = Steel plate girders and concrete

|spans = 3

|pierswater = 2

|mainspan = {{convert|40|m|ft|0}}

|length =

|width =

|height =

|load =

|clearance =

|below =

|builder = Tarmac Group

|fabricator =

|begin =

|complete = 1992

|open =

|inaugurated = 23 September 1992

|traffic =

|closed =

|toll =

|preceded = Teesquay Millennium Bridge

|followed = Infinity Bridge

|map_cue =

|map_image =

|map_text =

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|coordinates = {{Coord|54.5657|-1.3072|format=dms|type:landmark|display=title,inline}}

|lat =

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}}

The Princess of Wales Bridge, sometimes referred to as the Diana Bridge or the Princess Diana Bridge, is a dual carriageway road bridge named after the late Diana, Princess of Wales.{{cite web |url=http://www.nymcam.co.uk/042601.htm |title=Today's walk: Tees Barrage-Stockton Riverside-Newport Bridge |work=North York Moors CAM |first=Don |last=Burluraux |date=26 April 2001 |access-date=22 August 2009}} It carries Council of Europe Boulevard across the River Tees, Northern England.

Teesdale Business Park in Thornaby is to the south, and to the north is the northeast of Stockton town centre (at the north end of Riverside Road at a gyratory system). It is in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees.{{cite web |url=http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/princess.html |title=Princess of Wales Bridge |work=Bridges on the Tyne |access-date=22 August 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.teesrowingclub.co.uk/v_tripuptees.asp |title=A Trip up the Tees |first=Chris |last=Kenyon |publisher=Tees Rowing Club |date=March 2002 |access-date=22 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412003338/http://www.teesrowingclub.co.uk/v_tripuptees.asp |archive-date=12 April 2009}}

Design

The bridge is of a slab and girder design{{cite web |url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0047945 |title=Princess of Wales Bridge |first=Nicolas |last=Janberg |work=Structurae |access-date=31 August 2009}} with concrete piers and steel plate girder decking.

The bridge has three spans – the centre span is 40 metres with two side spans of 30 metres each.{{cite web |title=Bridges over the Tees |work=Institute of Civil Engineers |format=PDF |access-date=19 July 2012 |url=http://www.ice.org.uk/getattachment/43500669-bebe-4738-afc8-2742fcce639c/Bridges-over-the-Tees.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809112635/http://www.ice.org.uk/getattachment/43500669-bebe-4738-afc8-2742fcce639c/Bridges-over-the-Tees.aspx |archive-date=9 August 2013}}

The bridge has four steel plate girders with composite concrete decking and the abutments and piers are supported on steel H piles driven to sandstone bedrock.

Construction

The bridge was commissioned by the Teesside Development Corporation

and built at a cost of £3 million by Tarmac Group.{{cite web |title=Building the Princess of Wales Bridge |url=http://www.picturestockton.co.uk/viewpage.aspx?id=3693 |work=Picture Stockton |access-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008160255/http://www.picturestockton.co.uk/viewpage.aspx?id=3693 |archive-date=8 October 2011}}

Operation

The bridge was inaugurated on 23 September 1992{{cite web |url=http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=97269 |title=Community: A Little About The Town We Live in.. Stockton-on-Tees |first=Colin |last=Jeffrey |date=18 January 2008 |access-date=22 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222180851/http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=97269 |archive-date=22 February 2008}}

by Diana, Princess of Wales.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/court-circular-1553322.html |title=Court Circular |work=The Independent |date=24 September 1992 |access-date=22 August 2009}}

On rare occasions the bridge is closed for fireworks events.

After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales the bridge was fitted with two memorial plaques.{{cite web|last=Delplanque |first=Paul |title=The Jim Kelley Bridge? |work=Gazettelive – Remember When |access-date=3 January 2013 |date=16 February 2012 |url=http://rememberwhen.gazettelive.co.uk/2012/02/the-jim-kelley-bridge.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060734/http://rememberwhen.gazettelive.co.uk/2012/02/the-jim-kelley-bridge.html |archive-date=21 September 2013}}

Local facilities

Just downriver of the bridge is the River Tees Watersports Centre hosting watersports such as rowing, canoeing, waterskiing, jet skiing and dragon boat racing.

Image gallery

{{gallery |align=center

|Image:Princess of Wales Bridge from north bank upriver.jpg |Princess of Wales bridge from the fish quay north bank upriver

|Image:Princess of Wales Bridge-1-1024.jpg |Princess of Wales bridge from the north bank downriver

|Image:Princess of Wales Bridge-2-1024.jpg |Princess of Wales Bridge from the south bank downriver

|Image:River Tees Watersports Centre-1024.jpg |River Tees Watersports Centre

}}

References

External links

[http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/princess.html Princess of Wales Bridge] on [http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk Bridges on the Tyne] website
{{Structurae|id=20047945 |title=Princess of Wales Bridge}}
The [http://www.rtwc.co.uk/ River Tees Watersports Centre].

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{{Geographic location

|Northwest =

|North =

|Northeast = Portrack

|West =

|Centre = Princess of Wales Bridge
over the River Tees

|East = Tees Barrage

|Southwest = Stockton on Tees town centre

|South = Teesdale Business Park

|Southeast =

}}