Author Topic: A bridge I cycled over...  (Read 5465 times)

A bridge I cycled over...
« on: 06 June, 2020, 02:35:10 pm »
So I thought the Curly-Wurly bridge over the M4 on NCN45 between Chiseldon & Swindon,  deserved a bit of a mention for starters.   Not exactly elegant, but kind of fun, with the two turn spiral on the North side.  Been over it a few times, but know nothing about how old it is, and whether there are any other examples.  Anyone?

Lead up to, on south side.   Rather good section of the NCN45:

IMG_20200605_1 by a oxon, on Flickr

IMG_20200605_2 by a oxon, on Flickr

IMG_20200605_3 by a oxon, on Flickr

IMG_20200605_4 by a oxon, on Flickr

 
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: A bridge I cycled over...
« Reply #1 on: 06 June, 2020, 03:11:22 pm »
J9 to J15 of the M4 was completed in 1971, so the bridge is probably the same age.

Most such bridges I've used have zig-zag approaches rather than spirals. Tend to avoid them on the tandem!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A bridge I cycled over...
« Reply #2 on: 06 June, 2020, 03:26:04 pm »
I've noticed that bridge from the motorway so it's interesting to see it from the other side.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: A bridge I cycled over...
« Reply #3 on: 06 June, 2020, 07:10:11 pm »
This bridge https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5808845,-0.2115591,3a,75y,245.22h,94.27t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sRRl37GmCWosbjS0DVnhM-w!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DRRl37GmCWosbjS0DVnhM-w%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D283.4997%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656 over the A406, at the junction of the A502 was built circa 1980 after the death of my father's friend, a local resident pedestrian aged around 60, crossing the A406 one Friday night. The widow campaigned hard for a footbridge and two houses were demolished to allow its construction.

It is one tenth of a mile to use the footbridge and this is around eight times the width of the carriageway.

A classmate of my sister's complained bitterly about dragging her buggy up those ramps, but was widowed at 26 when her husband walked across the carriageway one Friday night. He was related to the first victim.

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: A bridge I cycled over...
« Reply #4 on: 07 June, 2020, 08:12:06 pm »
I don't have photos, since I was earnestly engaged on the Legend of Gelert Audax on those occasions and had other things on my mind, but the cycle/pedestrian bridges that carry the cycleway along the N Wales coastline, in and out, over and under the A55 Expressway at Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan are pretty spectacular and devious.  And steep in places.  It would have taken a Machiavellian mind to work out the route.   

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: A bridge I cycled over...
« Reply #5 on: 24 March, 2022, 03:16:39 pm »
Electric Cow and clavicle-eating bridge:



Hit a well-camouflaged post in the middle of the path here in 2002.  Bent it, crashed, broke collar-bone.  A few weeks later all the posts on the path disappeared for around 10k either side.  Collar-bone still here.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight