Tamar Bridge : Attraction of Plymouth

The Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge in southwest England carrying traffic between Devon and Cornwall. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom. in 2001 it became the world’s first suspension bridge to be widened (from three to five lanes) using cantilevers, and the world’s first bridge to undergo strengthening and widening work while remaining open to traffic. The five lanes are divided as follows: three lanes carry the A38 trunk road, the fourth is reserved for eastbound local traffic and the fifth for pedestrians and cyclists. Previously all traffic merged and shared the three lanes.

Construction of the Tamar Bridge began in July 1959. Before this, the lowest road crossing of the River Tamar was Gunnislake New Bridge at the village of Gunnislake. This seven-arched granite bridge was built in the early 16th century (c. 1520). it is still in use today but it is only wide enough to carry one lane of traffic. Before the Tamar Bridge was opened, most car drivers wishing to travel between Saltash (on the Cornish side) and the Devon city of Plymouth used car ferries. Today the Tamar Bridge carries approximately 40 000 vehicles every day. it is co-owned by Plymouth City Council and Cornwall County Council, and is managed by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee. A toll of GBP1.00 per car is charged when driving from Cornwall into Devon.

The Tamar Bridge is located above the Hamoaze, and runs parallel to isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge (usually simply referred to as Brunel Bridge) which opened in 1859 and is considered to be one of his greatest railway achievements. Both bridges offer wonderful views of the Tamar Valley and Tamar Estuary. The Tamar, Lynher and Tavy Valleys form one of England’s thirty-seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A focus for protest

As a recognisable symbol of the local area, as well as the main road connection between Cornwall and the rest of England and the UK, the Tamar Bridge is often used for a focus for protests or charity events.

Local commercial radio station Pirate FM (named for the history of sea pirates, it’s not an illegal pirate radio station) held a charity fundraiser in April 2002 which involved redecorating the newly reopened Tamar Bridge. They hung a 563m (1848 ft) clothesline along the entire span of the bridge, and decked it out with 1000 pairs of underwear (knickers, panties, bloomers, thongs…).

in March 1998, after the closure of Europe’s last tin mine South Crofty in Cornwall (which has since reopened), campaigners trying to raise the profile of Cornwall’s economic crisis encouraged commuters to pay the £1.00 toll in pennies. Since the bridge serves 2500 vehicles an hour in peak times, any scheme that slows down the process of paying tolls is likely to cause long tailbacks and make the news.

January 23, 2004 four protesters climbed onto the gantry over the Tamar Bridge to highlight the work of the group Fathers 4 Justice who promote the rights of fathers in custody disputes. Similar protests for male custody rights in 2004 have also taken place on cranes next to Exeter Crown Court (in Devon) and at next to Tower Bridge, London.

The bridge has unusually become such a cultural focus for its surrounding areas, including Plymouth and parts of Cornwall, that references to the bridge have often found their way into local expressions. indeed, references to bridges in Plymouth circle almost exclusively around the bridge itself. The site has, over the years, become a focal point of many wishing to end their own life, possibly due to the fact that the bridge covers an isolated part of the 6km long Wolseley Road and the River Tamar itself, making bodies difficult to find. Many expressions, for example, “Go jump in the Tamar!” as a euphemism for “Go away!", have developed around this.