Keadby Bridge
This is the first Keadby bridge, built in 1864 by South Yorkshire Railway. Protective ‘dolphins’ were built around the bridge piers to avoid any damage from passing ships. It was later replaced in 1916 by the King George V bridge, also known as Keadby Bridge. Commissioned by Great Central Railway it was designed by James Ball and C. A. Rowlandson and built by contractors Sir William Arrol & Co. This was a Sherzer rolling lift bridge which carried both road and rail traffic. The bridge is 548 feet in length and originally had a 50-meter lifting span. It was one of the first of its kind in Britain and the largest in Europe when it was built. The entire bridge weighs 3500 tonnes and could be lifted in just 40 seconds. It was originally controlled by a single person in a control box however the bridge has not been lifted since 1956. The control box was eventually removed, and the railway tracks were fixed in place.
Image courtesy of North Lincolnshire Museum service.
