10 Fun Facts About Humber Bridge

What structural type of bridge is the Humber Bridge?

Its deck hangs from two main cables slung between concrete towers, and it remains the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world that can be crossed on foot or by bicycle.

In what year was the Humber Bridge officially opened?

Traffic had already been using the bridge since 24 June; the royal ceremony that followed included a Red Arrows fly-past.

What is the approximate length of the main span of the Humber Bridge?

That central span is still the longest in Britain and in the whole Western Hemisphere.

The bridge over the Humber links Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank with which town on the north bank?

Before the bridge, commuters crossed by the Humber Ferry from Corporation Pier in Hull to New Holland Pier in Lincolnshire.

The estuary the Humber Bridge crosses is formed by the confluence of which two rivers?

The bridge connects the East Riding of Yorkshire with North Lincolnshire across that tidal estuary.

For 17 years after opening, what world record did the Humber Bridge hold?

Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge took the title in 1998; by 2025 the Humber had slipped to fourteenth-longest.

What is the approximate height of the Humber Bridge's towers?

Each tower is a pair of hollow concrete columns that taper from six metres square at the base; concrete was chosen over steel partly for cost and partly to suit the landscape.

What material are the main suspension cables of the Humber Bridge primarily made from?

Each main cable is built from 37 strands of 404 individual 5 mm wires, spun across the estuary four wires at a time.

Roughly how much wire, in total, is contained in the Humber Bridge's main suspension cables?

Laid end to end the wire would circle the Earth nearly twice; the first strand was carried across the river by three men in a boat in February 1977.

In what year did construction work on the Humber Bridge finally begin?

Work started on the southern approach roads first; the bridge foundations followed in March 1973 and the finished crossing took nine years to open.