Cleveland Bridge

The bridge links the A4 (London Road) in Walcot on the north side of the Avon, with the A36 in Bathwick, via Bathwick Street at the point where it is joined by St. John's Road. ==History==

Cleveland Bridge was built in 1826, by William Hazledine (Coalbrookdale Ironworks) with Henry Goodridge as the architect, Major repair work will be carried out in 2021, assisted by £3.5 million of Department for Transport funding, involving the temporary closure of the bridge. During the works more extensive problems were found; the hanger bars uncommon in bridge design, which support the main trusses, were unexpectedly found to be corroded. ==Capacity==

Around the same time that the bridge was freed from toll, heavier vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine were making their way onto the roads. The slender cast iron span of Cleveland Bridge required reinforcement. Four reinforced concrete trusses were inserted under the roadway around 1929, giving it the strength which today allows it to carry 38 tonne trucks. Bath has no eastern bypass, so the bridge has become a heavily used "Euro route" for large trucks on their way from Britain's south coast ports to the docks further north. High volumes of local traffic at peak travelling times make this a regular traffic slow spot in the mornings and evenings, carrying 17,000 vehicles a day. ==Emergency services connection==

Despite the frequent traffic jams on Cleveland Bridge, Bath's only fire and ambulance stations are located next to it and the drivers of emergency vehicles are assertive in expressing their need to cross on the way to respond to an emergency call. The connection between the bridge and these services is long established because the lodge formerly used as a toll house (Number 1) was the 999 response centre for the city of Bath for some time after the Second World War. ==The bridge today==

The distinctive lodges of Cleveland Bridge are now restored to their former glory and are back in use as homes. One, however, remains a working premises. Sculptures by ceramic artist Peter Hayes are on display around the world but he still works from a studio below his gallery at lodge number 2. His techniques for creating a patina include immersing half-completed pieces for a period of months in the river, where they absorb minerals from the water. == References ==