Princess of Wales Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Princess of Wales Bridge is a dual carriageway road bridge carrying the Teesdale Boulevard across the River Tees
in Stockton-on-Tees
in the Northeast
of England
. The bridge links on the south bank of the river, Teesdale Business Park
in Thornaby-on-Tees
to the north bank at the north end of Riverside Road at a gyratory system in Stockton-on-Tees
. The bridge is sometimes referred to as the Diana Bridge or the Princess Diana Bridge.
and built by Tarmac Construction at a cost of £3 million.
. On rare occasions the bridge is closed for fireworks events.
After the death of the Princess of Wales the bridge was fitted with two memorial plaques.
, canoeing
, waterskiing, jet skiing and dragon boat racing.
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
in the Northeast
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The bridge links on the south bank of the river, Teesdale Business Park
Teesdale Business Park
Teesdale Business Park is a major business park on the former site of Head Wrightsons' Teesdale works in Thornaby-on-Tees in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, England. The park was redeveloped by the Teesside Development Corporation. The area is immediately north of Thornaby railway station,...
in Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
to the north bank at the north end of Riverside Road at a gyratory system in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
. The bridge is sometimes referred to as the Diana Bridge or the Princess Diana Bridge.
Design
The bridge is of a slab and girder design with concrete piers and steel plate girder decking. The bridge has three spans - the centre span is 40m with two side spans of 30m each.Construction
The bridge was commissioned by the Teesside Development CorporationTeesside Development Corporation
The Teesside Development Corporation was a government-backed development corporation that was established in 1987 to fund and manage regeneration projects in the former-county of Cleveland in North East England....
and built by Tarmac Construction at a cost of £3 million.
Operation
The bridge was opened on 23 September 1992 by HRH Princess of WalesPrincess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
. On rare occasions the bridge is closed for fireworks events.
After the death of the Princess of Wales the bridge was fitted with two memorial plaques.
Local facilities
Just downriver of the bridge is the River Tees Watersports Centre hosting watersports such as rowingRowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, waterskiing, jet skiing and dragon boat racing.
External links
- Princess of Wales Bridge on Bridges on the Tyne website
- The River Tees Watersports Centre.