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Reading Bridge

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220: 33: 536: 269:. There are also two side arches for footpaths. The span rises to a height of 18 feet (5.5 m) at the centre, giving a navigation clearance of 17 feet 8 inches (5.38 m). The bridge deck is 40 ft (12 m) wide and carries a 27 ft (8.2 m) wide carriageway and two flanking footways. 301:
across the river just above Caversham Lock, but this was never done. However in 1911, Caversham was absorbed into the borough of Reading, and as part of the 1911 Extension Order (the parliamentary permission for this absorption), the Corporation was required to construct a footbridge between
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site some 0.5 miles (0.80 km) upstream, which has accommodated a series of bridges since around the end of the 12th century. In later years, a narrow footbridge across the top of the weir at Caversham Lock, known locally as
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The original plan for the new bridge was for it to be a steel suspension structure, but in 1913 this was revised to an arched bridge built of the, then new, material of reinforced concrete to a design by
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Caversham and De Bohun Road in Reading. The following year the Corporation successfully obtained permission to replace this proposed footbridge with a wider road bridge.
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By 2013 the bridge was carrying 24,000 vehicles each day and was still only one of two road crossing over the Thames in Reading. Reading Borough Council commissioned
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to develop a strategy for strengthening the bridge. Voids in the bridge deck and the southern approach ramp were filled with
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main span of 180 feet (55 m), which was, at the time of construction, the longest such span in the
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Before the opening of Reading Bridge, the only road crossing between Reading and Caversham was at the
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Leaflet on the history of the bridge published by Caversham & District Residents’ Association
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The current bridge is the first on the site, and was opened on 3 October 1923. It has a single
484: 291: 251: 219: 8: 571: 340: 262: 235: 103: 382:"Reading Bridge : 1923–2023 : 100 years of crossing the Thames at Caversham" 438: 178: 411: 287: 278: 343:, a pedestrian and cycle bridge situated some 200 metres (660 ft) upstream. 317:, but the construction contracts were finally let in 1922. The building work, by 314: 247: 592: 266: 255: 605: 329: 65: 52: 546: 510: 381: 561: 333: 298: 283: 231: 93: 297:
In 1871, the Corporation of Reading had obtained permission to build a
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The actual building of the bridge was delayed by the outbreak of the
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In 2015 the bridge was complemented by the opening of the
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on the north bank. It crosses the river a short way above
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area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of
384:. Caversham & District Residents’ Association. 603: 379: 336:plates were used to strengthen the structure. 294:, but was becoming increasingly congested. 437:. Philimore & Co Ltd. pp. 72–74. 37:Reading Bridge viewed from the south bank 375: 373: 371: 369: 367: 218: 183:17 feet 8 inches (5.38 m) 410:. River Thames Alliance. Archived from 380:Lambert, Helen; Matthews, Paul (2023). 604: 432: 290:of Lower Caversham and the factory of 364: 426: 408:"Bridge heights on the River Thames" 400: 13: 507:"Reading's New Bridge Opens Today" 499: 477: 14: 648: 528: 465:from the original on 11 July 2023 388:from the original on 11 July 2023 534: 31: 612:Bridges across the River Thames 223:The bridge viewed from upstream 637:1923 establishments in England 451: 167: 1: 622:Bridges in Reading, Berkshire 358: 353:Crossings of the River Thames 308:L. G. Mouchel & Partners 7: 627:Concrete bridges in England 346: 10: 653: 272: 230:is a road bridge over the 617:Bridges completed in 1923 213: 208: 200: 192: 187: 177: 166: 158: 150: 142: 134: 129: 119: 109: 99: 89: 81: 42: 30: 23: 487:. BBC. 30 September 2015 632:Road bridges in England 433:Hylton, Stuart (2007). 124:Reading Borough Council 114:Reading Borough Council 566:Next bridge downstream 224: 66:51.460972°N 0.967917°W 292:Huntley & Palmers 222: 558:Next bridge upstream 543:at Wikimedia Commons 435:A History of Reading 162:18 feet (5.5 m) 146:180 feet (55 m) 71:51.460972; -0.967917 572:Christchurch Bridge 513:on 25 November 2015 341:Christchurch Bridge 263:reinforced concrete 154:40 feet (12 m) 62: /  575:(pedestrian/cycle) 414:on 24 January 2008 225: 193:Construction start 600: 599: 589: 539:Media related to 444:978-1-86077-458-4 319:Holloway Brothers 217: 216: 18:Bridge in Reading 644: 588: 580: 555: 554: 538: 523: 522: 520: 518: 503: 497: 496: 494: 492: 481: 475: 474: 472: 470: 459:"Reading Bridge" 455: 449: 448: 430: 424: 423: 421: 419: 404: 398: 397: 395: 393: 377: 288:terraced housing 279:Caversham Bridge 169: 77: 76: 74: 73: 72: 67: 63: 60: 59: 58: 55: 35: 21: 20: 652: 651: 647: 646: 645: 643: 642: 641: 602: 601: 595: 584: 579: 574: 552: 531: 526: 516: 514: 505: 504: 500: 490: 488: 483: 482: 478: 468: 466: 461:. VolkerLaser. 457: 456: 452: 445: 431: 427: 417: 415: 406: 405: 401: 391: 389: 378: 365: 361: 349: 315:First World War 275: 248:Lower Caversham 179:Clearance below 130:Characteristics 70: 68: 64: 61: 56: 53: 51: 49: 48: 38: 26: 19: 12: 11: 5: 650: 640: 639: 634: 629: 624: 619: 614: 598: 597: 593:Caversham Lock 590: 582:Grid reference 578:Reading Bridge 576: 568: 567: 564: 559: 550: 549: 544: 541:Reading Bridge 530: 529:External links 527: 525: 524: 498: 476: 450: 443: 425: 399: 362: 360: 357: 356: 355: 348: 345: 274: 271: 267:United Kingdom 256:Caversham Lock 228:Reading Bridge 215: 214: 211: 210: 206: 205: 204:3 October 1923 202: 198: 197: 194: 190: 189: 185: 184: 181: 175: 174: 171: 164: 163: 160: 156: 155: 152: 148: 147: 144: 140: 139: 136: 132: 131: 127: 126: 121: 117: 116: 111: 107: 106: 101: 97: 96: 91: 87: 86: 83: 79: 78: 46: 40: 39: 36: 28: 27: 25:Reading Bridge 24: 17: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 649: 638: 635: 633: 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 618: 615: 613: 610: 609: 607: 594: 591: 587: 583: 577: 573: 570: 569: 565: 563: 560: 557: 556: 553: 548: 545: 542: 537: 533: 532: 512: 508: 502: 486: 480: 464: 460: 454: 446: 440: 436: 429: 413: 409: 403: 387: 383: 376: 374: 372: 370: 368: 363: 354: 351: 350: 344: 342: 337: 335: 331: 330:foam concrete 327: 322: 320: 316: 311: 309: 303: 300: 295: 293: 289: 285: 280: 270: 268: 264: 259: 257: 253: 249: 245: 241: 237: 233: 229: 221: 212: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 186: 182: 180: 176: 172: 165: 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 128: 125: 122: 120:Maintained by 118: 115: 112: 108: 105: 102: 98: 95: 92: 88: 84: 80: 75: 47: 45: 41: 34: 29: 22: 16: 596:(pedestrian) 562:River Thames 551: 515:. Retrieved 511:the original 501: 489:. Retrieved 479: 467:. Retrieved 453: 434: 428: 416:. Retrieved 412:the original 402: 390:. Retrieved 338: 334:carbon fibre 323: 312: 304: 299:swing bridge 296: 284:The Clappers 276: 260: 232:River Thames 227: 226: 143:Total length 94:River Thames 54:51°27′39.5″N 15: 517:24 November 491:24 November 326:VolkerLaser 69: / 57:0°58′04.5″W 44:Coordinates 606:Categories 359:References 242:county of 196:March 1922 418:16 August 252:Caversham 244:Berkshire 586:SU717740 463:Archived 386:Archived 347:See also 209:Location 170:of spans 469:11 July 392:11 July 273:History 240:English 238:in the 236:Reading 188:History 104:Reading 90:Crosses 82:Carries 441:  332:, and 201:Opened 159:Height 135:Design 100:Locale 151:Width 110:Owner 85:B3345 519:2015 493:2015 471:2023 439:ISBN 420:2008 394:2023 138:Arch 234:at 168:No. 608:: 366:^ 258:. 521:. 495:. 473:. 447:. 422:. 396:. 173:1

Index


Coordinates
51°27′39.5″N 0°58′04.5″W / 51.460972°N 0.967917°W / 51.460972; -0.967917
River Thames
Reading
Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council
Clearance below

River Thames
Reading
English
Berkshire
Lower Caversham
Caversham
Caversham Lock
reinforced concrete
United Kingdom
Caversham Bridge
The Clappers
terraced housing
Huntley & Palmers
swing bridge
L. G. Mouchel & Partners
First World War
Holloway Brothers
VolkerLaser
foam concrete
carbon fibre
Christchurch Bridge

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