George Street Bridge''
is a crossing of the
River Usk
The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it ...
in the
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, t ...
of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
in
Newport,
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
. It is a Grade II*
listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
structure.
[ ]
Opening
It was opened on 9 April 1964 and is the first
cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern ...
in the United Kingdom.
Before its opening in 1964 the only crossings of the river Usk in central Newport were the
Newport Bridge carrying the main
A48 road
The A48 is a trunk road in Great Britain running from the A40 at Highnam, west of Gloucester, England, to the A40 at Carmarthen, Wales. Before the Severn Bridge opened on 8 September 1966, it was a major route between England and Sout ...
and
Newport Transporter Bridge.
Many grand names were proposed for the bridge but it was eventually named after the relatively small George Street on the western bank of the River Usk.
Planning
Originally the bridge was planned to be six lanes wide, but with the
M4 motorway Usk bridge
The M4 motorway Usk bridge, officially St. Julians Bridge, carries the M4 motorway across the River Usk in the city of Newport, Wales.
The bridge comprises two separate structures, for the eastbound and westbound carriageways. When travelling ...
already planned further upstream it was reduced to four lanes.
Continuing developments
On completion, the A48 route was diverted over the new bridge, making it the preferred route for through traffic. However, in 2004 the new
City Bridge on the Southern Distributor Road further downstream became the preferred route and assumed the route number.
See also
*
List of bridges in Wales
This list of bridges in Wales lists bridges of particular historical, scenic, architectural or engineering interest in Wales. Road and railway bridges, viaducts, aqueducts and footbridges are included.
List
Bridges are listed under the names us ...
References
External links
*
{{City of Newport
Cable-stayed bridges in Wales
Bridges completed in 1964
Bridges in Newport, Wales
Grade II* listed buildings in Newport, Wales
Grade II* listed bridges in Wales
Landmarks in Newport, Wales
Road bridges in Wales