Like me, the Tamar Bridge is 50 this year. It's also 50 years since the ferry stopped crossing between Saltash Passage in Plymouth to Saltash in Cornwall.
While researching material for the Blue Sound project, I came across some very interesting newspaper cuttings from 1959 and 1960 which showed the bridge as it was being built. I've never seen any of these photos anywhere else so I thought that I would post them on here. The first shows a drilling platform being rigged on the St Budeaux side in readiness for trial borings.
The second photo is dated 30th November,1959 and shows one of the main pillars being constructed. The Royal Albert Bridge can be seen in the background. This photo has been taken on the Plymouth side. The next photo is from February 1960 and shows the main towers being erected, again on the Plymouth side.
The next photo shows more construction work which is followed by a picture of workers with a sign apologising for the inconvenience caused by the works. The houses of Saltash Passage can be seen in the background.
The final photo comes from 11th October 1960 and shows the bridge well under way. Two men can be seen walking the temporary, precarious bridge between the two main pillars.
(Please click on the photos to see them larger).
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