longest cyclable uk bridges

[dbennett1882]

Deciding on a new year "resolution" I had the following idea.
I already plan to cycle Sustrans route 1 this summer, which involves crossing the Humber Bridge. This I understand is the longest cyclable bridge in the uk.
So I thought I would use this as a theme and see if I could ride the 5 longest cyclable bridges in the uk during 2017

looking online I can find several sites that list the longest bridges but most of them cannot be cycled.

so, Im looking for guidance from anybody who knows any long bridges/ viaducts that can be legally ridden.

Happy New Year

Dave

[Richard Fairhurst]

The Severn Bridge (the old one) and the Forth Road Bridge both have cycle paths.

Shorter but still fun: Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is officially "cyclists dismount" but I suspect no-one would notice if you did it at a quiet time. Bennerley Viaduct will be impressive once Sustrans have found funding to restore it.

[gaz]

Edit: Missed above post while typing.

Medway Viaducts (M2) have adjacent cycletrack, approx 1km. Short diversion from NCN1 in Rochester.

[PH]

Swarkestone bridge? It's the longest stone bridge in England, and the longest inland bridge in England, but I don't know how that compares to the others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarkestone_Bridge

[TrevA]

I found this:


Second Severn 5128m
Dartford 2872m
Tay 2253m
Humber 2200m
Forth 1822m
Severn 1597m
Thelwall 1345m
Kessock 1056m
Friarton around 1000m??
Erskine 662m
Tamar 565m
Skye 500m
Clifton 414m
Menai 176m

They aren't all cycle able, but it's a start.

[jgurney]

several sites that list the longest bridges but most of them cannot be cycled

Assuming this refers to road bridges, it seems absurd that any should lack pedestrian and cycle access.
How much extra can it cost to attach cycle and ped routes when building a new road bridge?
Even those carrying motorways could still usefully have ped/cycle paths attached, as do for example the bridges carrying the M2 over the Medway and the M4 over the Thames.

The website http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=9703 offered the following list:

Longest bridges (total length):

Second Severn 5128m
Dartford 2872m
Tay 2253m
Humber 2200m
Forth 1822m
1st Severn 1597m
Thelwall 1345m
Kessock 1056m
Friarton around 1000m??
Erskine 662m
Tamar 565m
Skye 500m
Clifton 414m
Menai 176m

[ferrit worrier]

Barmouth bridge 699 meters

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmouth_Bridge

[JJF]

The M5 viaduct over the River Avon might be worth considering. Below is a quote from Wiki. Although it says that the main span is 164m, the cycleable bit comprises a number of spans....but is probably less than the total 1388m.

" The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is 538 ft (164 m) long, and the bridge is 4,554 ft (1,388 m) long."

[eileithyia]

Barmouth bridge 699 meters

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmouth_Bridge

...and one of the most scenic.....

[pete75]

Fledborough viaduct is the best part of 900 yards long. It crosses the Trent about 5 miles from Tuxford in Nottinghamshire and carries a cycle track that goes all the way to Lincoln.

[Mick F]

Happy New Year.

No advice here, but one idea you could try is a railway bridge. You'd need suspension to get over the sleepers!

The Tamar Valley Line goes over the Calstock Viaduct only a mile or two from where I'm sitting. The trains run every couple of hours and less on a Sunday, and it's not unknown for the locals to walk over on their way to/from Calstock/Bere Ferrers. I reckon if you cycle it, you wouldn't be the first to do so. Time it right, and there's no-one to see anything.
The access at the Calstock end is easy because the train travellers have to cross the line to get to the (single)platform from the carpark.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calstock_ ... ck_Viaduct
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.49666 ... a=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.49778 ... 312!8i6656

[jgurney]

The trains run every couple of hours and less on a Sunday, and it's not unknown for the locals to walk over on their way to/from Calstock/Bere Ferrers. I reckon if you cycle it, you wouldn't be the first to do so. Time it right, and there's no-one to see anything.
The access at the Calstock end is easy because the train travellers have to cross the line to get to the (single)platform from the carpark.

Anyone doing this may be prosecuted for trespassing on the railway.

Even on lines known to carry no freight traffic, inspection, maintenance or weedkiller spray trains and railtour charter trains may run at any time. Passenger trains may be delayed and run at unexpected times. It is never safe to assume there is no train coming.

Observing adults who feel they are taking calculated risks trespassing on railways may encourage children to do the same in more dangerous settings.

[sjs]

The M5 viaduct over the River Avon might be worth considering. Below is a quote from Wiki. Although it says that the main span is 164m, the cycleable bit comprises a number of spans....but is probably less than the total 1388m.

" The Avonmouth Bridge is a road bridge that carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon into Somerset near Bristol, England. The main span is 538 ft (164 m) long, and the bridge is 4,554 ft (1,388 m) long."

And a pleasant ride afterwards down the Severn estuary to Clevedon.

[sjs]

Bennerley Viaduct will be impressive once Sustrans have found funding to restore it.

We used to play on it as kids when it was just a derelict railway bridge in the 70's, including daring each other to walk along the girders supporting it.

[thirdcrank]

I took the thread title to refer to bridges with cycling provision or with a road open to all traffic including cycles. ie a reference resource for riders without local knowledge of an area.

If a bridge is simply part of a motorway, then being able to ride over it would be useless without decent cycle access at both ends. Extreme ironing, with a bike instead of an iron and ironing board isn't much use in this context either.