Bridges are important to any city which has a river running through it - and Newport is no exception.
We have some fine examples of bridge building in our city - and we are all waiting with baited breath for the new member of the bridge clan.
Newport has a total of nine bridges across the River Usk - that's if you include Caerleon and the M4!
We've got Town Bridge, George Street Bridge, the Transporter Bridge, the new SDR bridge, the M4 bridge, Caerleon bridge, two railway bridges - one close to the station and one further up the river in Caerleon - and there's the new foot and cycle bridge which is currently in pieces by the side of the Usk awaiting installation. It's due to be in place early next month.
We decided to check out some of the history of the bridges and here's what we came up with thanks to www.newportpast.com, which was compiled by Haydn Davis after years of research.
1903 Work commences on the Transporter Bridge.
1904 First electric tramcar crosses Newport Bridge into Maindee.
1906 The Transporter Bridge is opened.
1920 A temporary wooden bridge is erected alongside the town bridge.
1921 The Prince of Wales visits the town. He travels on the Transporter Bridge and tours the docks.
1927 The new town bridge is opened (cost £250,000).
1946 Transporter Bridge tolls are suspended.
1947 The heaviest snowfall in the town's recorded history. The stone piers of the Newport Bridge are encased in ice.
1961 The George Street Bridge is approved by the House of Commons but the proposed six lane highway is amended to four lanes.
1962 July 2 - work starts on the George Street Bridge. September 10 - work commences on the 450 ft long, split river bridge and the 1,200ft long Brynglas tunnels on the M4.
1963 December 22 - the last 30ft of road decking is completed over George Street Bridge.
1964 April 9 - the £2m George Street Bridge is declared officially open.
1969 A Rogerstone-born American business man offers to buy the Transporter Bridge for £1m.
1986 The Transporter Bridge is given a complete and expensive overhaul in the hope of revitalising its interest as a tourist attraction.
2004 The new SDR bridge spanning the Usk between the Transporter Bridge and George Street Bridge was opened as part of the road linking the Coldra to Tredegar Park skirting the south of the city.
2006 The Transport Bridge celebrates its centenary and the new foot and cycle bridge is installed across the Usk.
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