Heritage sites, Archaeological discoveries, History of Archaeology

Iron Bridge

Location

Shropshire

Country

United Kingdom

Year of Research

1773

Culture

It crosses by the village of Ironbridge,the River Severn at the Iron bridge Gorge,in Shropshire of England.

It was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron, a material which was previously far too expensive to use for large structures.

However, a new blast furnace nearby lowered the cost and so encouraged local engineers and architects to solve a long-standing problem of a crossing over the river.

In the early eighteenth century the only way to cross the Severn Gorge was by ferry. However, the industries that were growing in the area of Coalbrookdale and Broseley needed a more reliable crossing.

A programme of major repairs took place on the foundations of the bridge in 1972.It involved creating a iron concrete counter-arch beneath the river.

In 1999-2000, the bridge was renovated again, with replacement of the cast iron road plates with steel plates, and a weightless top surface.