Corporation Bridge - Present Bridge

Present Bridge

The bridge spans Alexandra Dock near Victoria Mills, Victoria Street and replaced a swing bridge.

Electrically powered Sherzer rolling lift road bridge, built at a cost of almost £60,000 in 1925 by Alfred C Gardner, Docks Engineer to London and North Eastern Railway; Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow, contractors, for Grimsby Corporation, it was opened by the Prince of Wales three years later. The bridge was restored by Great Grimsby Borough Council c. 1980.

A cast-iron and steel bridge with timber-clad Bridge House, brick and ashlar abutments. 4 spans resting on short cylindrical piers, those flanking the lifting bascule over the main channel having timber buffers. The bridge has lattice girder parapets which are ramped-up to the lifting section. Ornate cast-iron piers above the abutments, each with plinth, moulded cornice and lamp standards each carrying 5 lights. The plinths bear plaques on 2 sides, the north-east plinth with a commemorative inscription recording details of construction and the opening of the bridge by HRH the Prince of Wales on 19 July 1925; the other plinths have plaques bearing polychrome painted reliefs of the Grimsby Corporation Arms.

Makers names on girders include: Skinningrove, Frodingham Iron and Steel Co., Dalzell Steel GK. The Bridge House has wrap-around window with glazing bars, hipped roof with ridge louvre.

When rolling back on the track, the bridge is almost perfectly balanced. The decking of the lifting span is primarily wood on a latticework of steel beams with a skid resistant and waterproof surface of an epoxy resin material. Gates at each end of the lifting span, close automatically as the bridge is raised to close the span to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The last Bridgemaster was one Jack Tartellian and the log of openings up to 1970 when the bridge was no longer needed to be opened frequently, as the wood yards (now Sainsbury's Supermarket and the Heritage Centre) were closed.

It requires eight men to drive the capstan mechanism to raise the bridge (two spells of 4 on a shift). It was last raised in October 2008 and is believed to be in fair mechanical condition.

It is briefly seen in the opening scenes of the video to pop duo Erasure's song "The Circus".

The dedication plaque giving details of its construction and opening is shown(pictured right)