Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed

This article is about the bridge at Betws-y-Coed. For other uses, see Waterloo Bridge (disambiguation).
Waterloo Bridge
Coordinates 53°05′07″N 3°47′43″W / 53.0852°N 3.7953°W / 53.0852; -3.7953Coordinates: 53°05′07″N 3°47′43″W / 53.0852°N 3.7953°W / 53.0852; -3.7953
Carries Motor vehicles (2 lanes)
Pedestrians
Crosses River Conwy
Locale Betws-y-Coed
Characteristics
Design Arch bridge
Material Cast iron
Longest span 32 metres (105 ft)[1]
Number of spans 1
History
Designer Thomas Telford
Construction end 1815

Waterloo Bridge (Welsh: Pont Waterloo) is an early cast iron bridge, spanning the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough, north-west Wales.

A view of the Waterloo Bridge c.1815

The bridge is located about half a mile south-east of the village. It was built by the civil engineer Thomas Telford. An inscription on the arch records that it was constructed in the year of the Battle of Waterloo, but although designed and constructed in 1815, its erection was not completed that year. It was raised as part of building the road from London to Holyhead (now the A5). The bridge is made wholly from cast iron (apart from the stone bastions) and was only the seventh such bridge to be built.

In 1923, the bridge’s masonry abutments were refurbished, and its superstructure was strengthened by encasing the inner three ribs in concrete. A 178mm reinforced cantilevered concrete deck was also added, which provided extra space for new footways; the cast iron parapet railings were re-erected on the outside of the new footways.[2]

In 1978, a new 254mm reinforced concrete deck was added and the masonry abutments were also strengthened.[3]

In May 1996, the bridge was Grade I listed.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed.


References

  1. ↑ Engineering Timelines. "Waterloo Bridge". Retrieved September 2011. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. ↑ Engineering-timelines.com - Waterloo Bridge
  3. ↑ Engineering-timelines.com - Waterloo Bridge
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