On my last section of the walk I passed under the first of many bridges (Tower Bridge). So it seemed appropriate to record details of all the bridges I cross or pass under. And to begin we have to turn around and head back to the first leg and the view downstream of the Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) Bridge downstream from Crayford Ness.
The QE2 Bridge forms part of the Dartford Crossing that links the two end of the M25 (as technically its not a complete circle). The crossing was originally made by tunnel, until traffic volumes meant a new solution had to be found. The bridge was the answer and it opened in 1991. Southbound traffic uses the bridge, northbound the tunnels.
The bridge is a cable-stayed bridge (i.e. one with pillars, in this case two, with cables that support the road surface. The new Millau Viaduct in France designed by Norman Foster is a similar design, only bigger. The QE2 was designed by Sir William Halcrow & Partners Ltd has a span of 450m and is 65m above the surface of the Thames. It is the only bridge downstream of Central London. All other crossing downstream of Tower Bridge are tunnels (for pedestrians or vehicles), plus the Woolwich Ferry. Historically, bridges would have been impractical on this part of the river as it would have prevented tall ships reaching the Docklands.
No comments:
Post a Comment