The Cleddau Bridge has marked the 50th anniversary of being open to traffic – with around 4.4 million vehicles crossing by road a year.
The Cleddau Bridge is 820m long, with a main span of 213m and stands 37m above high water. It is one of the longest box girder type bridges in the world.
The long, wide and deep Milford Haven estuary divides the county into two parts and before the bridge was built the trip from Neyland to Pembroke Dock was 28 miles.
A ferry service was operated between the two shores by Pembrokeshire County Council in the past, with 24 cars and 250 pedestrians able to travel each trip.
However, with the growth of Milford Haven’s port and the construction of the nearby petrochemical facilities in the 1960s a new 24 hour access was needed and the plans to build the Cleddau Bridge and the smaller bridge at Westfield Pill were started.
Building the Cleddau Bridge involved a £2.1million contract and also saw the tragic loss of life during its construction.
On 2nd June 1970 a 60m cantilever collapsed on the south bank, killing four people. This collapse lead to a complete change in design and construction standards for this type of bridge.
The bridge was eventually opened to traffic in 1975. In the first year of operation approximately 885,900 vehicles used the bridge. By year ending March 2009 this number increased to 4,600,407 which is the highest figures recorded.
For around 44 years, up to 2019, tolls were in place on the bridge and travellers paid a charge each way until Pembrokeshire County Council was successful in removing the tolls. An agreement was put in place with Welsh Government.
Since April 1996 maintenance of the Cleddau Bridge has been the responsibility of Pembrokeshire County Council.
Day to day maintenance is carried out by a small team of engineers and operatives based at the Bridge office, which is manned 24/7 to enable a rapid reaction to any changes in weather, implement high wind closures and any other emergencies.
Council Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said:
“The Cleddau Bridge is a key route in our county’s road network and we are remembering today the hard work, and sadly the lives lost, in the construction of this vital piece of infrastructure.
“Fifty years on since its opening to traffic use of the Cleddau Bridge has not diminished, and its important contribution to economy of the County cannot be understated.”
Since the bridge was first built some significant maintenance works have been carried out, including:
- Gantry Replacement (1993)
- Repainting (1994 and 2011)
- Pier-top strengthening (2001)
- Waterproofing and resurfacing (2003/4)
- Replacement of roller bearings with sliding (rocker) bearings (2014)
Maintenance costs on average £3.1 million a year, based on an estimated 120 year design lifespan. A replacement is estimated to cost in excess of £140 million at current prices.
Prior to the tolls being removed on 28th March 2019, maintenance of the bridge was entirely funded from the revenue collected from bridge users but this is now mainly funded from an annual Welsh Government grant.
Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett added:
“For many people in Pembrokeshire the Cleddau Bridge is just part of the landscape but there are still lots of residents who remember the distances travelled around the Haven before it was built. Indeed, I also remember my father taking me on the ferry across from Neyland to Hobbs Point in the sixties, an exciting trip for a young child in those days.
“Within the engineering community the Cleddau Bridge is well-known for its unique design and for being the longest bridge of this type in the world.”
