1981: The Record-Breaking Humber Bridge in England is First Opened to Traffic

June 24, 1981

The Humber Bridge in northeastern England was opened to traffic. This 7,280-foot (2,220-meter)-long single-span suspension bridge carries the A15 road over the Humber — a large tidal estuary jointly formed by the rivers Trent and Ouse — between the town and civil parish of Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank; and the town, civil parish, and electoral ward of Hessle on the north bank. 

While plans for such a bridge dated back to the 1930s, work on building the structure did not actually get underway until 1972. The bridge opened a little over three weeks before it was officially dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II. During this structure’s first 17 years of existence, it was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world. It currently ranks 12th in that category. 

Photo Credit: David Wright / The Humber Bridge / CC BY-SA 2.0

For more information on the Humber Bridge, please check out https://structurae.net/en/structures/humber-bridge