Victoria Bridge, Bath

Victoria Bridge in Bath, England, was built in 1836 across the River Avon. The bridge has been recognised as a Grade II* listed building.The bridge is an important example of a suspension bridge which initially carried horses and carts but later carried cyclists and pedestrians.ConstructionThe cable-stayed double cantilever bridge, built by Motley and Dredge, has a span of 45.7m with the chains slung from Bath stone towers. The road deck is joined to the chains by iron eyebars, which, unusually, are not vertical. James Dredge who was a brewer in Bath designed the bridge to carry beer from his brewery across the river without using a ferry or having to detour through the city centre. Construction cost £1,760. He patented the 'taper principle' based on using chains rather than cables, as is now more common in suspension bridges. Dredge's bridge design was considered "a very significant yet relatively short-lived phase in suspension bridge development".The main span chains have 155 links each of which is 2.5m long and supports two wrought iron hangers. The deck is made of wooden planks.Initially the bridge was used for horse-drawn carts but later only carried bicycles and pedestrians.Closure and restorationIn October 2010 the bridge was closed to users, because of concerns about the safety of the beams and cables. This caused criticism from cycling groups in the city. It was reopened later in October 2010, but then closed again.