The Memorial Bridge is a bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 over the Chao Phraya River

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...

 in Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

, in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, connecting the districts Phra Nakhon

Phra Nakhon

Phra Nakhon is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. It is the central district of Bangkok, including the Rattanakosin Island...

 and Thonburi

Thon Buri (district)

Thon Buri is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Located on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, it was once part of Thon Buri province...

.

The bridge was opened on 6 April 1932, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Chakri Dynasty. In English the bridge is commonly known as Memorial Bridge, however in Thai it is most commonly known as Phra Phutta Yodfa Bridge (สะพานพระพุทธยอดฟ้า), after King Buddha Yodfa (Rama I), the first king of the Chakri Dynasty.

Construction of the bridge was started on 3 December 1929 by Dorman Long

Dorman Long

Dorman Long, based in Middlesbrough, North East England, was a major steel producer, which diversified into bridge building, and is now a manufacturer of steel components and construction equipment for bridges and other structures...

, Middlesbrough, England. The bridge used to have a moving mechanism

Moveable bridge

A moveable bridge is a bridge that moves to allow passage for boats or barges. An advantage of making bridges movable include lower price, due to the absence of high piers and long approaches. The principal disadvantage is that the traffic on the bridge must be halted when it is opened for passages...

, which is now disused.

External links

• Memorial Bridge, Bureau of Maintenance and Traffic Safety, Thailand. Retrieved on 31 December 2007