Skip to main content

Wales

Menai Suspension Bridge
Society: ASCEMain Category: CivilSub Category: BridgesEra: 1800-1829DateCreated: 1826Menai BridgeIsle of AngleseyState: WalesCountry: UKWebsite: http://www.asce.org/Project/Menai-Suspension-Bridge/Creator: Telford, Thomas , Hazledine, William

Built between 1819 and 1826, the Menai Bridge was the major structure on Britain's strategically important Holyhead Road connecting London with Holyhead and by sea to Ireland. Designed by Thomas Telford, the bridge's main span was 579 feet from tower to tower, the longest that had ever been attempted at this time. He used four sets wrought-iron eyebars to suspend the deck. These were made by William Hazledine at his Upton forge near Shrewsbury. Each bar was carefully tested in his Coleham shops before being pinned together and lifted into place.

YearAdded:
2002
Image Credit: Courtesy Flickr/Ingy the Wingy (CC BY-ND 2.0)Image Caption: Menai Suspension BridgeEra_date_from: 1826
Subscribe to Wales

Innovations

Menai Suspension Bridge

Built between 1819 and 1826, the Menai Bridge was the major structure on Britain's strategically important Holyhead Road connecting London with Holyhead and by sea to Ireland. Designed by Thomas Telford, the bridge's main span was 579 feet from tower to tower, the longest that had ever been…

Read More

We hope you enjoyed this essay.

Please support America's only magazine of the history of engineering and innovation, and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to Invention & Technology.

Donate

Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.
The subscriber's email address.