The Humber Bridge

Looking South From the North Bank

One of my favourite features in Hull is the Humber Bridge. Situated about 8 miles west of Hull City Centre, it’s an incredibly prominent feature in East Yorkshire’s flat landscape. I’ve been on several walks towards the bridge and it always taunts you by being in sight but getting closer to it on foot is a slooooooow affair. At other times it’s a welcoming sign that I’m almost back home.

The bridge connects Hessle in Yorkshire with Barton-upon-Humber in Lincolnshire and it held the record for the world's longest single-span suspension bridge for 16 years but moved to rank 2 in 1997, when the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark overtook it. Today it ranks 7th (find the whole list here) but it is still the longest one you can cross by foot and bicycle. 

The Crossing Problem

The 2,220 metre (2,428 yards) long Humber Bridge has made commuting to and from Lincolnshire much easier but it didn’t open until 1981. So how did people cross over before there was a bridge? With difficulty. You could either cross the river Ouse near Goole, which is approximately 30 miles west of Hull, or you could take the ferry from Hull to New Holland in Lincolnshire. But the ferry could not cross the Humber in a straight line either; it had to zigzag across due to the river’s numerous sandbanks ("more like mudbanks" according to some!). From February to October 1969 there was also a hovercraft service running between Hull and Grimsby Docks but mechanical failures of the hovercraft and the strong, unpredictable currents of the Humber put an end to that pretty quickly.   

The Humber estuary was the last major estuary in England without a bridge, which is surprising considering that people have been asking for a stable crossing for over one hundred years. A first proposal was made in 1872 when Hull merchants suggested a tunnel under the Humber, which would have been much too expensive and troublesome. A bridge was proposed in 1928 by Hull City Council. However, the Great Depression of the late 1920s and early 1930s made its realisation impossible. It wasn’t until 1959 that the Humber Bridge Board was formed and the Humber Bridge Act passed, which approved the construction of a bridge. Construction itself did not start until 1973.

The Cables Are Over Half A Metre Thick

Why a Suspension Bridge?
The Humber has a shifting bed and the navigable channel along which boats can travel is always changing. A suspension bridge made most sense because it would not need a supporting pylon in the middle of the river, which could have potentially blocked the estuary for crafts. The construction was estimated to cost £60 million however, it would later on become clear that the bridge would open with debts of £150 million (Oops!). The bridge's concrete weighs 480,000 tonnes, its steel 27,500 tonnes and the total length of wire comes down to an astonishing 71,000km (to put it in perspective: earth's circumference is 40,075km). The main cables are 0.68 metres thick and each cable carries a load of 19,400 tonnes. You can find more information on the engineering genius here or read the account of the site engineer and the bridgemaster.

Always The Money

You May See It But It Is An 8 Mile Walk To Get There

The bridge was officially opened in July 1981 by Queen Elizabeth II but traffic had already been crossing since June. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending yet. Money was borrowed from the government to build the bridge and the first years of operation did not earn enough to pay back the borrowed sum. With the high interest rate the debt kept increasing. For years the bridge was struggling financially; tolls were increasing and the government came up with the Humber Bridge (Debts) Act in 1996. The interest rate was lowered and in October 2009 the government approved a £6 million grant to conduct maintenance work, which meant that tolls could not increase until 2011. By 2011 however, the Humber Bridge Board wanted to increase the tolls again, which was eventually approved. A single crossing now cost £3, so for anyone who had to cross the bridge on a daily basis, paying £6 was inevitable. Incidentally, this price increase made the Humber Bridge toll the most expensive toll fee in the United Kingdom. With the Humber Bridge Board consistently being in financial difficulties, the government decided to write off £150 million of the £330 million debt in 2012. This meant that the bridge toll could be halved to £1.50, which is the price for a single crossing in a car since April 2012. The Humber Bridge Board has since seen a 9% increase in vehicles using the bridge! 

Questionable Fame
On a sad note, the bridge has also been the scene of many heartbreaking incidents. It made it onto various gruesome lists as one of the most notorious suicide spots on earth. Since its opening in the 1980s over 200 people have jumped or fell to their death. This means that a staggering number of approximately 7 people take their life there every year. Only 5 people survived the 30 metre (98ft) fall.


My Favourite Bridge :)
But the bridge remains one of my favourite features in the area. If you ever get the chance to stand next to one of the enormous pillars, you'll see what I mean - they're pretty awe-inspiring! And the weather changes the look and the feel of the bridge completely. When it's windy and the Humber is wilder than usual, the bridge looks more menacing. If the sun is shining and the water looks still, you can almost get a perfect reflection of the bridge in the water. Fog and winter sunshine are definitely my favourite weather conditions for taking photos of the Humber Bridge, though!