Humber Bridge, Suspension bridge in Hessle, England
The Humber Bridge is a single-span road suspension bridge near Kingston upon Hull, crossing the Humber between Hessle on the north bank and Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank. Its two steel towers are formed of paired columns joined by horizontal crossbars and finished in a warm reddish-brown tone, with a small red light at each top. The main cables carry a deck with four traffic lanes and a footpath and cycle path on each side.
The crossing opened on July 17, 1981, when Queen Elizabeth II cut the ribbon after construction that began in July 1972. The decision to build followed decades of calls for a fixed link across the estuary, which had only been crossed by ferry before.
The bridge takes its name from the Humber, the estuary formed where the Trent and Ouse meet. Since 1 April 2012 motorcycles cross free of charge, while cars pay a toll; in 2004 bikers protesting the motorcycle charge removed helmets and gloves at the booth and paid with large notes, causing a 6 km queue.
The bridge carries a four-lane road with a footpath and cycle track on each side, and a 50 mph (80 km/h) limit applies throughout. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists cross free of charge, while other vehicles pay a toll. The crossing is exposed to wind and rain, so waterproof clothing helps on foot or by bike.
The central span between the two main towers measured 1410 meters (4626 feet) at opening and held the world record until 1998. Since then, newer crossings in Japan and China have surpassed that distance, but the scale still impresses when you walk beneath the cables.
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