Tamar Bridge 50th Anniversary

24th October 2011 marked the half century anniversary of when the bridge between Cornwall and Devon opened to traffic, allowing people to nip across in their cars from Plymouth to Saltash and back instead of waiting for the ferry.

Complementing Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Royal Albert bridge of 1859, the Tamar bridge took two years to complete and was officially opened by the Queen Mother. It sees a staggering 50,000 vehicles per weekday and so far has allowed approximately 450 million to cross since it opened! There are more amazing facts and figures on the Tamar Crossing Web site.

The 50th Anniversary was marked by a spectacular fireworks event to celebrate the success of what, at the time, was the longest suspension bridge in the UK.