Ihave been fascinated by bridges ever since I accompanied my father in the late 1960s to what to him was a simply supported concrete deck; but to me was a world of noise, complexity, and heavy plant operating in a seemingly random, unconnected and dysfunctional way. I still drive over that bridge fifty years later: and I now see it for what it is, a small cog in our national infrastructure system. But the joy of bridges and their construction stays with me.
Many years later, I have worked on bridges across the world: from continuous beam bridges through long and rickety pontoons, to the most basic expedient crossings held together by little more than sticks and string. But every bridge is different: in many ways a living entity shaped by the place in which it sits, and the context for which it was created. Bridges are more than mere structures. They bring communities together and are at the heart of our national economy. When next you go out to undertake one of those mundane daily tasks we all face, just count the number of bridges, big or small, you cross. And each one, irrespective of size or scale has been carefully and individually designed to fit the particular need of the local environment. Whether the majestic Severn Crossing, or the more commonplace local footbridge, every stress and every strain has been calculated to deal with the myriad of challenges the structure will face throughout its working life.
David McFetrich has created a wonderful encyclopaedia. This is not just a list of bridges in this country: it is a social history of a nation continually growing in industrial power and might, of engineers and architects striving to create beauty and purpose out of functionality, and of the real heroes of the tale, the bridges that underpin our very existence.
Everyone has a favourite and I was asked would I pick one? The choice is almost limitless. For scale one could look at the Forth Crossing in Edinburgh or the Medway Viaduct in Kent. History draws us to Tower Bridge in London or the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. But for me it has to be the Queen Elizabeth crossing at Dartford. For sure I have often queued in my desire to travel along the east coast of England. But that crossing has brought wealth and prosperity, has reduced the traffic through the heart of our capital city, and is an icon about everything that engineering can bring our country.