Walton Bridge
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| Walton Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Walton Bridge - current bridge from upstream |
|
| Carries | A224 road |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Walton on Thames |
| Material | Steel |
| Piers in water | 3 |
| Opening date | 1999 |
Walton Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, carrying the A244 road between Walton-on-Thames and Sunbury. It crosses the Thames on the reach between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock. The architecture of the present bridge could at best be described as visually unappealing and has led engineers to predict structural weakness by 2015, hence the plans for a new bridge. There have been five bridges on the site so far and plans are advanced for the sixth. Prior to the first bridge there was a ferry which dated back to, at least, the 15th century.
Contents |
[edit] First Bridge
The first bridge (Old Walton Bridge), constructed between 1748 and 1750, was a timber structure that stood until 1783. Canaletto painted a picture of this bridge in 1754. The painting, which shows the rococo-style of this bridge, may be seen in Dulwich Picture Gallery.[1]
[edit] Second Bridge
The second bridge was constructed in 1788 and stood until 1859. Constructed of brick and stone, it lasted much longer that its predecessor. This bridge was painted by Turner in 1805 following his sketching tour of the river Thames and Wey at that time.
After the second bridge collapsed a ferry crossing resumed until the construction of the third bridge in 1864.
[edit] Third Bridge
This was a girder bridge on stone piers. At the same time, a brick viaduct was constructed to span the flood plain to the south of the river. As of 2006 the viaduct is still standing.
The third bridge was damaged during the Second World War in 1940 leading to a permanent weight restriction. To alleviate this a fourth temporary bridge was constructed and the third bridge was relegated to use by cyclists and pedestrians. It was finally demolished in 1985.
[edit] Fourth Bridge
The fourth bridge was constructed in 1953 on the downstream side of the old bridge, using prefabricated bailey bridge style components that were probably war surplus. The fourth bridge was relegated to use by cyclists and pedestrians when the fifth bridge was completed in 1999.
[edit] Fifth Bridge
In 1999, the fourth bridge was replaced by yet another temporary, fifth bridge occupying the line of the original bridges. This initially had several problems and had to be resurfaced a number of times causing huge traffic disruptions.
[edit] Sixth Bridge?
A sixth bridge is planned. It was intended to be completed by 2009; after a public inquiry rejected some aspects of the original plan, construction is now forecast to start in 2011.
[edit] References
- Town Populations (pdf). 2001 census. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- Colin Bentley. History of Walton Bridge (html). Surrey County Council online. Surrey County Council. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
[edit] See also
| Next crossing upstream | River Thames | Next crossing downstream |
| Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry (pedestrian) | Walton Bridge | Hampton Ferry (pedestrian) |
