Corporation Bridge

Corporation Bridge
Carries	Motor vehicles, pedestrians
Crosses	Dock
Locale	Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
Maintained by	North East Lincolnshire Council
Design	Lifting
Total length	150 metres
Width	12 metres
Opened	Original bridge 1873 Current bridge 1928
Coordinates	53°33′34″N 0°04′05″W / 53.5595°N 0.0680°W / 53.5595; -0.0680Coordinates: 53°33′34″N 0°04′05″W / 53.5595°N 0.0680°W / 53.5595; -0.0680

The Corporation Bridge in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire is a lifting bridge in the town's former fish docks. Road vehicles can pass freely over the bridge and it is part of one of Grimsby's busiest traffic spots, leading to a major junction at Freeport Wharfe and Victoria Street.

Original bridge

The bridge was originally a swing bridge opened in 1873. At that time, it faced the Central Market and the Clock Tower. For a short time, following an incident in which a winch stripped a number of cogs from the bridge's machinery, it was opened by a tugboat. Later, in its life it was opened by manpower.

An Act of Parliament required that the bridge was opened at least once a year and on request of shipping.

Present bridge

The bridge spans Alexandra Dock near Victoria Mills, Victoria Street and replaced a swing bridge.

Electrically powered Sherzer rolling lift road bridge, built at a cost of almost £60,000 in 1925 by Alfred C Gardner, Docks Engineer to London and North Eastern Railway; Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow, contractors, for Grimsby Corporation, it was opened by the Prince of Wales three years later. The bridge was restored by Great Grimsby Borough Council c. 1980.

A cast-iron and steel bridge with timber-clad Bridge House, brick and ashlar abutments. 4 spans resting on short cylindrical piers, those flanking the lifting bascule over the main channel having timber buffers. The bridge has lattice girder parapets which are ramped-up to the lifting section. Ornate cast-iron piers above the abutments, each with plinth, moulded cornice and lamp standards each carrying 5 lights. The plinths bear plaques on 2 sides, the north-east plinth with a commemorative inscription recording details of construction and the opening of the bridge by HRH the Prince of Wales on 19 July 1925; the other plinths have plaques bearing polychrome painted reliefs of the Grimsby Corporation Arms.

Makers names on girders include: Skinningrove, Frodingham Iron and Steel Co., Dalzell Steel GK. The Bridge House has wrap-around window with glazing bars, hipped roof with ridge louvre.

When rolling back on the track, the bridge is almost perfectly balanced. The decking of the lifting span is primarily wood on a latticework of steel beams with a skid resistant and waterproof surface of an epoxy resin material. Gates at each end of the lifting span, close automatically as the bridge is raised to close the span to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The last Bridgemaster was one Jack Tartellian and the log of openings up to 1970 when the bridge was no longer needed to be opened frequently, as the wood yards (now Sainsbury's Supermarket and the Heritage Centre) were closed.

It requires eight men to drive the capstan mechanism to raise the bridge (two spells of 4 on a shift). It was last raised in October 2008 and is believed to be in fair mechanical condition.

It is briefly seen in the opening scenes of the video to pop duo Erasure's song "The Circus".

The dedication plaque giving details of its construction and opening is shown(pictured right)

Dedication plaque on Corporation Road Bridge

References