Itchen Bridge

Itchen Bridge
Coordinates	50°53′56″N 1°23′05″W / 50.8988°N 1.3847°W / 50.8988; -1.3847Coordinates: 50°53′56″N 1°23′05″W / 50.8988°N 1.3847°W / 50.8988; -1.3847
Carries	A3025 road (2 lanes)
Crosses	River Itchen
Locale	Southampton
Owner	Southampton City Council
Preceded by	Northam Bridge
Characteristics
Design	High-level hollow box girder
Total length	800 metres (870 yd)
Height	28 metres (92 ft)
Clearance above	open
History
Engineering design by	Kier Limited
Construction cost	£12.174 million
Inaugurated	22 March 1974 (1974-03-22)
Opened	13 July 1977 (1977-07-13)
Replaces	Woolston Floating Bridge
Statistics
Toll	variable (based on vehicle type)
Itchen Bridge Location in Southampton

The Itchen Bridge is a bridge over the River Itchen in Southampton, Hampshire. It is a high-level hollow box girder bridge. It is located about a mile from the river mouth. The bridge spans 870 yards (800 m), is 92 feet (28 m) at its highest point and weighs 62,000 tons.

The bridge was opened by HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Mrs Angus Ogilvy on 13 July 1977,^[1] although it had been open to public foot traffic since 31 May 1977 when Mrs Edith Parks became the first person to cross it. The bridge's set of blue energy-saving lights can be seen from up to 5 miles (8.0 km) down Southampton Water from the bridge.

As part of the bridge's maintenance eight expansion joints were replaced in March 2016.^[2]

Toll

At the Woolston end a toll booth operates daily. Southampton City Council levy a variable toll,^[3] depending on vehicle type and time of day of crossing. The toll was originally charged in order to help pay the £12.174 million it cost to build. The toll succeeded in this some years ago,^[4] but the toll remains to control the traffic in the areas surrounding the bridge.

On 21 December 2010, it was announced that an automatic toll system would replace the staffed booth, saving over £200,000 annually. This system measures the height of the front of the vehicle and number of front wheels to judge the applicable toll for that vehicle.

Class 1 – Motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles There is no charge for these vehicles

Class 2 – Cars, small vans and small 4x4s Height at first axle up to 1.33m Toll due 60p (peak), 50p (off peak) Residents Concessionary toll 40p (peak), 30p (off peak)

Class 3 – Large vans (e.g. transit) and large 4x4s Height at first axle between 1.33m to 2.39m Toll due: £1.20 Business Concessionary toll 60p Southampton registered taxi concession 60p

Class 4 – HGVs Height at first axle more than 2.39m Toll due £25.00 Business Concessionary toll £2.00 ^[5]

See also

• Itchen ferry

Gallery

• 
  The Itchen Bridge taken from the site where the Supermarine works used to be
• 
  Under the Itchen Bridge
• 
  Samaritans notice and intercom on top of the Itchen Bridge
• 
  A shot of Itchen Bridge as seen from Woolston Jetty on a foggy evening
• 
  New lights over Itchen Bridge said to reduce power consumption by 20%
• 
  New Lights on Itchen bridge
• 
  Itchen Bridge opened by HRH Princess Alexandra 13 July 1977

Footnotes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Itchen Bridge.

• Live CCTV images of the bridge, toll-end
• The Itchen Bridge and its Association with Transport