The concept of the transporter bridge was invented in 1873 by Charles Smith (1844–1882), the manager of an engine works in
Hartlepool, England. He called it a "bridge ferry" and unsuccessfully presented his ideas to councils in Hartlepool,
Middlesbrough, and
Glasgow. The first transporter bridge,
Vizcaya Bridge was built between
Las Arenas and
Portugalete, Spain, in 1893. The design from
Alberto Palacio inspired others to attempt similar structures. The idea came about in locations where it was seen as impractical to build long approach ramps that would be required to reach a high span, and in places where
ferries are not easily able to cross. Because transporter bridges can carry only a limited load, the idea was little used after the rise of the
automobile. The first such bridge built in France, the 1898
Rouen bridge crossing the
Seine, was destroyed by the French Army to slow down German troops in
World War II. Transporter bridges were popular in France, where five were erected and another partially completed. was the first in Britain and the largest transporter bridge in the world. The United Kingdom has four transporter bridges, though
Warrington Transporter Bridge is disused and the modern
Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, though designed with the potential to be used as a transporter bridge, has so far only been used as a high-level footbridge. The
Newport Transporter Bridge was built in 1906 across the
River Usk in
Newport. Because the river banks are very low at the crossing point (a few miles south of the city centre) a traditional bridge would need a very long approach ramp and a ferry could not be used at low tide. The Newport Bridge was a
Ferdinand Arnodin design. The
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge opened in 1911 crossing the
River Tees. It was featured in the 2002 series of the popular British TV show
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet; the programme's plot had the bridge being dismantled and re-erected in Arizona, US.{{cite web In the United States, two such bridges were built. The first was the
Aerial Bridge built in
Duluth, Minnesota in 1905, although the city had originally planned to build a vertical lift bridge at the site. The transporter design was used for about 25 years before the structure was reconfigured to lift a central span in 1930. The second American transporter bridge was different from other designs and partially resembled
gondola lifts used in mountainous regions. The
Sky Ride was part of the 1933–34 Chicago World's Fair ("
Century of Progress"). It was taken down after two years, and was the longest bridge of this type ever built at the time. Two historic transporter bridges survive in Germany. The
bridge at
Rendsburg, from 1913 is two bridges in one: a
railroad link crosses on the top span, and the suspended ferry carries traffic on the valley floor. The
Osten Transporter Bridge at Osten is four years older and was the first transporter bridge in Germany. ==List of transporter bridges==