THE HUMBER BRIDGE IS AN ICONIC LANDMARK FOR THE REGION. A FEAT OF MODERN BRITISH ENGINEERING. A GRADE 1 LISTED STRUCTURE. A WELCOME SIGN OF HOME AFTER A LONG TRIP.
Officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 17th July 1981 (though Our History goes back much further), the Bridge represents a long-held desire to connect the Humber region. Prior to the Bridge, the only way of crossing the Humber was either by ferry, or a drive around between 55.3 and 80 miles!
Bridges and tunnels had been considered, but it wasn’t until 1959 that a viable crossing became a reality with the granting of the 1959 Humber Bridge Act. Although work did not start until 1972.
It took 8 years to build the Humber Bridge during which time workers endured some of the UK’s worst weather conditions. At times over 1,000 people worked on the Bridge at once!
Today the Humber Bridge provides a vital role in helping the region to reach its full potential; supporting 33,000 crossings per day and saving drivers millions of miles and hours overall.
THE HUMBER BRIDGE BOARD
The Humber Bridge Board is a statutory board that ensures the running and maintenance of the Bridge and approach roads through the collection of tolls. It employs around 100 staff, who are based at the Humber Bridge.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of the Humber Bridge comprises representatives of all four local unitary authorities serving Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, plus two people nominated by the Hull and East Yorkshire LEP and Greater Lincolnshire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership). The Board meets every two months.
SEE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
KEY PEOPLE
Chief Operating Officer: Andrew Arundel
Deputy Chief Operating Officer: Fay Baker
STATS
-On average there are 33,000 crossings per day.
– Almost 1/4 of a billion vehicles have crossed since 1981.
-Between June 2022 and June 2023 an estimated 120,864 pedestrians and 74,563 cyclists used the walkway.
-Around 44 miles are saved per journey between Hull and Grimsby.
SOCIAL VALUE
We’ve always been proud that the bridge is not just an iconic landmark, but is used by the community it serves. Whether that’s for family outings, dog walks, exercise, a charity challenge, or just something that makes you feel like you are nearly home after a long journey, we are humbled that the bridge means different things to different people.
According to a report from The Social Value Engine, the Humber Bridge and it’s surrounding Estate generates £2.65million every year in social value. That’s £5.53 in social and economic value, for every £1 invested by the Humber Bridge Board!
Social value
Social Value Engine is used by government, councils, public bodies, and private companies across the UK to assess the true impact and importance of projects. Examples of social value might be the wellbeing we experience from visiting nearby open green spaces, such as the bridge’s estate. These things are important to us, but are not commonly expressed or measured in the same way that financial value is. It’s a fascinating topic and you can find out more here https://socialvalueengine.com/
FAST BRIDGE FACTS
-The Bridge crosses the Humber Estuary between Hessle, East Yorkshire and Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire.
-Between 1981 and 1998, it was the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge. It is currently the twelfth longest.
-But the Humber Bridge is the UK’s longest single-span suspension bridge.
-It is the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world that can be crossed on foot or by cycle.
-The road deck has an aerodynamic design, like an upside-down aircraft wing. This keeps the deck stable during high winds.
–124 steel box sections weighing over 17,000 tonnes make up the road deck.
-The road deck is 30m above high water level to enable the passage of ships beneath.
-The concrete towers are 155.5 metres (510 feet) tall and were built to be 36mm further apart from each other at the top than at the bottom, to allow for the curvature of the Earth.
-Anchorage to anchorage the Bridge is 2,200 metres or 1.4 miles.
-The 3 spans are; Hessle side span (280 metres), Barton side span (530 metres) and the main centre span (1410 metres).
-There is enough wire used in the bridge to go around the Moon more than six times.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Humber Bridge Board is a statutory body created by the Humber Bridge Act 1959 and subsequent legislation. Meet the Board.
The Bridge is open 24/7, 365 days of the year. There are occasions when it is impassable for ‘high-sided and wind vulnerable’ vehicles due to high winds.
The Humber Bridge has two birthdays! It was first opened to traffic on 24th June 1981; but the formal opening by the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was on 17th July 1981.
Yes – The Humber Bridge has a publicly accessible footpath for pedestrians and cyclists to use, allowing visitors to enjoy the views of both the Humber as they cross the estuary.
On the north bank of the estuary is East Yorkshire, chiefly the regions of Hessle and Hull. The south bank is North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, with the towns of Barton and Grimsby located near the bridge.
Follow the links to the official websites for these areas to learn more about them, what there is to see and do, and where to stay.