Bridges over Muddied Waters

Ennerdale Link Bridges	1997	On 22nd September 2017 – the autumnal equinox when day and night are equal – all the bridges over the River Hull will be raised simultaneously for the first time in the city's history creating a symbolic wall denying the freedom of movement across the city, east or west, splitting the city in two.  This can only happen in Hull as no other city has so many opening bridges over such a short distance of navigable river. Here is a basic annotated guide to the River Hull Bridges within the city boundary. ............................................................................................................................. Twin bascule bridges.These completed the Ennerdale Link bypass construction which started in 1992 to open up the Kingswood district for its huge and still ongoing expansion as a city suburb. The river crossing was originally intended to be a tunnel but fairly advanced work was halted in 1994 after difficulties with the ground conditions were encountered,or in plainspeak,it filled up with water. Frankly, a small child will have advised against a tunnel under a river!! I hesitate to think how much public money was wasted by that fiasco. Bridges designed by Rendel Palmer and Tritton were based on those installed at Stoneferry almost a decade earlier. The bridges each with 250ft bridge decks have a total weight of 800tons, in including the 600ton counterbalance.
Sutton Road Bridge	1939	A Scherzer type rolling lift bridge built by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co, with elegant Art Deco/Neo-Georgian style operating houses. The bridge will have benefitted from much reduced traffic flow after construction of the Ennerdale Link Road.
Stoneferry Bridge	1988–91	Twin bascule bridges with 105-foot (32 m) carriageways, one for each direction of traffic. Designed by Rendel Palmer and Tritton, and built by Cementation Construction. They replaced a 1905 swing bridge, and earlier ferry although historically there may have been a ford crossing at this point.
Hull Bridge	1885	A classic Steel bowstring span swing bridge. Grade II Listed 1994.  Built by the Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1885 and still used by freight trains. This is difficult to see from what is a narrow winding road through the old Bank Side district but is a rare beauty.
Wilmington Swing Bridge	1907	A Grade II Listed railway swing bridge, built by the North Eastern Railway to serve the Victoria Dock and East Docks. It opened on 7 May 1907, and replaced the original 1853 bridge which had been the work of Thomas Cabry.  Railway use ceased in 1968, and it is now used as part of Hull's footpath and cycleway network. It is my favourite bridge and I regularly use it on the route by bike to Hornsea and back.
Sculcoates Bridge	1874	Sculcoates bridge on Chapman Street is a wrought iron swing bridge, opened in 1875. The bridge consists of a fixed span on the east bank of 27 feet (8.2 m) and a counterbalanced swing span made of 113 feet (34 m) girders, with a river span of 56 feet (17 m). The design was by J. Fox Sharp engineer, the bridge was constructed by the Iron Bridge and Roofing Company. of Darlaston, West Midlands. Total cost was £18,000. The roadway is quite narrow for modern vehicles and voluntary contraflow use is often necessary if confronted by a lorry. It was Grade II listed in 1994. This is the oldest river bridge in the city, and connects the areas of Wilmington, Kingston upon Hull and Sculcoates.
Scott Street Bridge	1901	Construction of the bridge connecting Scott Street in the west with Lime and Jenning streets in the east began October 1901, with an estimated cost of £20,000. A double bascule bridge. The bridge, bridgemasters hut, railings and lamps were Grade II listed in 1994. It has been permanently raised (and probably corroded in that position) since 1994 as the structure is too weak to carry traffic, and repair has been estimated at £5 million. It often figures in the popular list of Hull’s most useless things.
North Bridge	1928–32	There has been a bridge at this point (close to the North Gate of the city walls) since 1541, before which there was a ferry. The bridge here has been modified, rebuilt and enlarged several times. A hydraulically operated horizontal drawbridge was constructed in 1870 connecting Charlotte Street and Witham. In 1925 plans were submitted for a new bridge; of which one costed at £275,000 with a straightened approach road approximately 30 yards (27 m) north of the 1870 bridge was accepted. The bridge was contracted in 1927 for £86,100 by the Widnes Foundry (1295) Ltd who constructed it as a Scherzer rolling lift bridge (or "Walking lift bridge"). The bridge was Grade II listed in 1994.
Drypool Bridge	1961	Twinned with North Bridge in terms of Scherzer rolling lift bridge operation. The relatively modern structure replaced an earlier swing bridge, also known as Drypool bridge or Salthouse Lane bridge, sanctioned 1885, with construction beginning 1887, and opening 1889, at a cost of £18,550. The main ironwork was assembled by J. Butler and Co., of Stanningley, Leeds; the river walls and approaches by T.B Mather of Hull. The bridge was hydraulically powered by the Hull Hydraulic Power Company, the first urban facility of its kind in the UK.
Scale Lane Bridge	2011–13	A pedestrian swing bridge between Scale Lane (west) and Tower Street (east). and an award-winning design by the Canadian Renato Benedetti at McDowell Benedetti. The bridge was officially opened in June 2013 although work had begun in 2010 only to be shelved due to the recession of the late 2000's. Its unique characteristic is that pedestrians can stay on the bridge whilst it is in motion. It is a great feat of design and engineering. The shop unit intended for a cafe has not yet attracted a tenant.
Myton Bridge	1981	An elegant but very functional asymmetric cable stayed box girder steel swing bridge on the extremely busy A63 Garrison Road, with spans of 182.2 and 93.4 feet (55.5 and 28.5 m). The bridge does bounce a bit it if you find yourself stationary in a typical traffic jam. It does get stuck on occasion. If operating for usual low barge type river traffic all you get to see for your 10 minute holdup is a masthead light heading to or from the Humber.
Millennium Bridge	2001	A pedestrian swing bridge giving access to The Deep, with a span of 102 feet (31 m). A minimalist design classic and a great asset for pedestrian access in this very popular revitalised area of Hull waterfront. The location is a main focus for events for Hull's 2017 City of Culture. Source: Wikipedia and Hull Daily Mail