OVER BRIDGE

'Over Bridge' is a single span stone arch bridge spanning the West Channel of the River Severn near Gloucester. It links ''Over'' to Alney Island. Built by Thomas Telford between 1825 and 1828, it remained in use for traffic until 1975. The arch spans 150 feet (46 metres), and was based on Jean-Rodolphe Perronet's 1774 design for a bridge over the River Seine at Neuilly. It combines both an elliptical profile over most of the soffit with a segmental profile at its faces. This feature is known as a ''corne de vache''.
When built, the arch sank by 2 inches when its timber centering was removed, and another 8 inches due to settlement of the arch foundations.
Today it is a pedestrian-only bridge, and is maintained by English Heritage as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Road traffic on the A40 crosses the Severn on a new bridge alongside and upstream of it.
This is the last bridge over the Severn before the Severn Crossings, and the most downstream free crossing.

Contents

References

References

★ Cragg, R., ''Civil Engineering Heritage: Wales & West Central England'', Thomas Telford Publishing, 2nd edn., 1997

★ Witts, C., ''A Century of Bridges'', River Severn Publications, 2nd edn., 1998