Menai Suspension Bridge: a history of maintenance and repair Available to Purchase

Menai Suspension Bridge was completed and opened in January 1826, a triumph for Thomas Telford and the longest span in the world. Despite the success of the bridge Telford was not entirely happy and was concerned by perceived problems. During construction the bridge suffered damage in strong winds and in February 1826 six hangers broke. Breakage of six hangers was repeated again in 1836 and in 1839 the deck was virtually wrecked in a hurricane. Provis was engaged to consider the matter and designed a new, articulated and heavier deck for the bridge, the construction of which was supervised by Maude. The replacement timber deck survived until 1893 when Baker designed a new steel deck. In 1908, Rivers commenced repairs and modifications to the bridge, but these were not entirely satisfactory. Tudsbery and Gibbs were engaged to examine the bridge in 1922, and it was recognised that the carriageway and weight restrictions severely limited use of the bridge. In 1938, Dorman Long began the difficult task of reconstructing the bridge to carry the full spectrum of modern road traffic. This paper recalls the first 112 years of the history of the bridge up until the time of the reconstruction.