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{{Short description|Road bridge in South Yorkshire, England}}
'''Tinsley Viaduct''' is a two-tier ] in ], ]; the first of its kind in the country. It carries the ] and the A631 some 1033 ] over the ], from ] to ], crossing the ], ] (now know as the ] and ]) and the ] on-route.
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
]
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
The ] was opened in March ]<ref> by Sidney A. Leleux. A report on the building of the viaduct, from April 1966</ref> and cost £6 million to build. The bridge has since been strengthened, in 1983 and again recently, with work finished in spring 2006. Although originally designed to carry 6 lanes, during the strengthening work the M1 was reduced to 4 lanes following an ] directive on load bearing. This arrangement has now been made permanent to allow the third lane in each direction to join from J34 to make the very busy junction safer.<ref>, from the Government News Network, highlighting the reasons behind keeping the road at four lanes</ref>
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name=Tinsley Viaduct
|image=Tinsley Viaduct and Blackburn Towers 21-04-06.jpg
|caption=Tinsley Viaduct as seen from ], with the two cooling towers of the former ] before their demolition in 2008.
|official_name=
|carries={{Flatlist|
* ]
* ]
}}
|crosses={{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
|locale=]/]
|maint=]
|id=
|design=twin deck box girder bridge<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/6028.aspx|title=Tinsley Viaduct|publisher=Highways Agency|access-date=17 April 2007}}</ref>
|mainspan={{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}} (20 spans)
|length={{convert|1033|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|width=6 lanes
|height={{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}} (to upper level)
|load=
|clearance={{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} (on the A631)
|below={{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.safespanplatforms.com/news.html|title=Safespan's Latest News|publisher=Safespan Inc.|access-date=28 December 2007}}</ref>
|traffic=100,000 vehicles/day<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk/finalists/2005/tinsley/|title=Tinsley viaduct strengthening project, Sheffield|publisher=Prime Minister's Award|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205020117/http://www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk/finalists/2005/tinsley/|archive-date=5 December 2008|access-date=17 April 2007}}</ref>
|begin=] 1965<ref name=TheMotorwayArchiveTrust>{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.org/motorway/m1bridges.htm|title=M1 Aston-Sheffield-Leeds|publisher=The Motorway Archive Trust|access-date=19 April 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070927182307/http://www.iht.org/motorway/m1bridges.htm | archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref>
|complete=1968
|open=25 March 1968 (lower deck)<ref name=TheMotorwayArchiveTrust/><br> 19 October 1968 (upper deck)<ref name=guardian />
|closed=
|toll=
|coordinates= {{coord|53|25|03|N|1|24|21|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|os_grid_reference=SK394913
}}
'''Tinsley Viaduct''' is a two-tier ] in ], ]; it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. It carries the ] and the ] for a distance of {{convert|1,033|m|order=flip}} over the ], from ] to ], also crossing the ], the ] and the former ] line from ] to ]. The ] route to ] runs below part of the viaduct on the trackbed of the South Yorkshire Railway line to ].


==History==
The viaduct is balanced on rollers to allow for thermal expansion and contraction, and the route weaves slightly in order to make its way past other buildings. As things currently stand, the ] Shopping Centre lies in the valley to the west, while to the east is the ] ].
]
The lower deck of the ] was opened in March 1968<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/23/Tinsley.htm|title=Tinsley Viaduct, Sheffield|first=Sydney A.|last=Leleux|date=February 1969|access-date=16 November 2006}}</ref> and the upper deck, carrying the M1, on 19 October 1968.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news | title = Superway | newspaper = ] | pages = 12 | date = 21 October 1968 | url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/259907781/ | access-date = 27 January 2019}}{{subscription required|via=newspapers.com|quote=The 35-mile Aston-Sheffield-Leeds motorway was opened to traffic on Saturday.}}</ref> The build cost was £6&nbsp;million. The structure is unusual in that it is built as ] box girders, at a time when most long span bridges were being built of ] deck design. The use of steel allowed a significant cost saving over alternative methods, but became controversial following two disasters involving steel bridges in 1970 (the ] in Australia and the ] in Wales) and another in 1971 (the {{ill|Koblenz South Bridge|de|Südbrücke (Koblenz)}} in Germany). Fifty-one people were killed in these failures, leading in the UK to the formation of the Merrison Committee.<ref name="Merrison" >{{cite book |author=Department of the Environment (Merrison Committee of Inquiry) |title=Inquiry into the Basis of Design and Method of Erection of Steel Box Girder Bridges |publisher=] |location=London |year=1973 |ref=Merrison}}</ref> The report of the Merrison committee resulted in the temporary closure of two of the carriageways on the lower deck and two on the upper deck, the installation of extra steel strengthening bands around the bridge's support columns and other works which were completed in 1983. A further programme of strengthening was completed in 2006. The recent work to strengthen the bridge was a very complex operation, with a lot of the work happening inside the box beam spine. The works took over 3 years and cost £82&nbsp;million (nearly 9 times the original bridge building cost, adjusting for inflation). The strengthening project won the British construction industry's ] in 2005.


Although originally designed to carry a dual 3-lane motorway on the top deck, during and subsequent to the strengthening work the M1 was reduced to 2 lanes following an ] directive on load bearing capacity to allow for the introduction of 40-tonne trucks in the UK. This arrangement allowed the third lane in each direction to join from Junction 34 to make the busy junction safer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=2&ReleaseID=172690|title=£82 Million M1 Tinsley Viaduct strengthening work nears completion|date=10 October 2005|publisher=]|access-date=16 November 2006}}</ref> Since the opening of the M1 junction 32 to 35a ] scheme in January 2017, the viaduct once again carries 3 lanes of traffic plus hard shoulders in each direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transforming-the-m1-in-yorkshire-and-the-east-midlands-find-out-more|title=Transforming the M1 in Yorkshire and the East Midlands|work=gov.uk|date=12 September 2014|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref>
]


The viaduct is balanced on rollers to allow for thermal expansion and contraction, and the route weaves slightly in order to make its way past obstacles. The viaduct, due to its construction, is very flexible. Movement may be felt on the lower deck as the traffic passes overhead. The ] lies in the valley to the west; to the east is the ] ] and new biomass power station.
The viaduct is one of Sheffield's most prominent landmarks, made all the more so by the adjacent pair of ]s that were left standing for safety reasons after the demolition of the Blackburn Meadows ]. Both the viaduct and the cooling towers continue to be the subject of local controversy &mdash; many criticise the viaduct as unsafe and constantly under repair, and others consider the cooling towers an eye-sore that should be pulled down. The cooling towers in particular have been a major point of contention over the years, and were once only saved from destruction after being chosen as a nesting site by a rare bird. More recently, plans have been made to turn them into a piece of public art,<ref>, BBC South Yorkshire, 8th July 2006</ref> including two huge vases with flowers protruding from them (a plan labelled "dangerous" by the highways agency{{Fact|date=February 2007}}), as well as more practical uses such as concert halls, skate parks and a theme park. Their iconic status, and the possibly prohibitive costs of demolishing the towers safely, would until recently looked to have cemented their status in Sheffield's future as much as they were a part of its history, until the owner of the tower (and the now-demolished power station) ], have stated their intention to demolish them<ref>, BBC South Yorkshire, 10th April 2006</ref><ref>, BBC South Yorkshire, 31st October, 2006</ref> now that the strengthening of the viaduct makes it more feasible. An online ] has been set up demanding that the towers be kept .
Many locals wish them to be demolished and see them as an eyesore. They believe that the continued discussion about keeping them there to be generated by a noisy minority.


==Tinsley cooling towers==
==Coordinates==
{{Main|Blackburn Meadows Power Station}}
{| class="wikitable"
]
!Location
The viaduct is one of Sheffield's most prominent landmarks, and was once made all the more so by the adjacent pair of ]s that were left standing for safety reasons after the demolition of the ]. The cooling towers were a major point of contention over the years and were once saved from destruction only after being chosen as a nesting site by a rare bird.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} More recently, plans were made to turn them into a piece of public art.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5160214.stm |title=Turning towers into art |work=] |publisher=] |date=8 July 2006|access-date=28 August 2006}}</ref> Other plans for the towers included concert halls, skate parks and a theme park.
!Coordinates

|- class="vcard"
Their iconic status, and the possibly prohibitive costs of demolishing the towers safely, looked to have cemented their status in Sheffield's future as much as they were a part of its history, until the owner of the towers (and the now-demolished power station), ], stated its intention to demolish them once the strengthening of the viaduct made it feasible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pressreleases.eon-uk.com/blogs/eonukpressreleases/archive/2008/08/12/1268.aspx|title=August demolition date set for Tinsley cooling towers|date=12 August 2008|publisher=]|access-date=12 August 2008}}</ref>
|class="fn org"|Northern junction, ]/A6109

|{{coord|53.42207|-1.41084|region:GB_type:landmark}}
The {{convert|250|ft|m|0}} towers were demolished at 03:00 BST on 24 August 2008, though a significant portion of the north tower remained standing for a short while. The demolition attracted widespread attention. A viewing platform was set up so the public could watch the demolition.<ref>{{cite news |title=Blast demolishes landmark towers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7578266.stm |work=] |publisher=] |date=24 August 2008 |access-date=24 August 2008 }}</ref> Part of the site has been converted for use as a ] ] by the owners E.ON UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eon-uk.com/generation/1490.aspx |title=E.ON UK Blackburn Meadows Green powerstation |access-date=24 August 2008 |publisher=E.ON }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=E.ON's Blackburn Meadows biomass plant generates electricity {{!}} Bioenergy Insight Magazine|url=http://www.bioenergy-news.com/display_news/7963/E_ON__039_s_Blackburn_Meadows_biomass_plant_generates_electricity/|website=bioenergy-news.com|access-date=12 September 2017|date=30 June 2014}}</ref>
|- class="vcard"

|class="fn org"|] passes underneath
==In popular culture==
|{{coord|53.42027|-1.40876|region:GB_type:landmark}}
The Tinsley Viaduct is featured among several other locations as the site of "ground zero" for a fictional ] ] on ] depicted in '']'' (1984), a depiction of what might have happened had ] and the Soviet Union entered conflict over hypothetical instability in ] that escalated into full ]. In the ensuing nuclear exchange, a one-] nuclear missile explodes above the Tinsley Viaduct, devastating most of surrounding ].
|- class="vcard"

|class="fn org"|Mid-point between junctions
==See also==
|{{coord|53.41763|-1.406205|display=inline,title|region:GB_type:landmark}}
*]
|- class="vcard"
|class="fn org"|] crossing
|{{coord|53.41443|-1.40313|region:GB_type:landmark}}
|- class="vcard"
|class="fn org"|] crossing
|{{coord|53.41420|-1.40284|region:GB_type:landmark}}
|- class="vcard"
|class="fn org"|Southern junction, A6178
|{{coord|53.41318|-1.40155|region:GB_type:landmark}}
|}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Tinsley Viaduct}}
* Prime Minister's Award
* Cooling towers public art competition held in 2005. * Cooling towers public art competition held in 2005.
* Blackburn Meadows cooling tower climb
* A news article on the Tinsley Viaduct cooling towers

{{SheffieldStructures}}
{{Road bridges in Yorkshire}}


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Latest revision as of 08:21, 11 September 2024

Road bridge in South Yorkshire, England

Tinsley Viaduct
Tinsley Viaduct as seen from Meadowhall, with the two cooling towers of the former Blackburn Meadows power station before their demolition in 2008.
Coordinates53°25′03″N 1°24′21″W / 53.41750°N 1.40583°W / 53.41750; -1.40583
OS grid referenceSK394913
Carries
Crosses
LocaleTinsley/Wincobank
Maintained byNational Highways
Characteristics
Designtwin deck box girder bridge
Total length1,033 m (3,389 ft)
Width6 lanes
Height20 m (66 ft) (to upper level)
Longest span50 m (160 ft) (20 spans)
Clearance above10 m (33 ft) (on the A631)
Clearance below10 m (33 ft)
History
Construction startSpring 1965
Construction end1968
Opened25 March 1968 (lower deck)
19 October 1968 (upper deck)
Statistics
Daily traffic100,000 vehicles/day
Location

Tinsley Viaduct is a two-tier road bridge in Sheffield, England; it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. It carries the M1 and the A631 for a distance of 3,389 feet (1,033 m) over the Don Valley, from Tinsley to Wincobank, also crossing the Sheffield Canal, the Midland Main Line and the former South Yorkshire Railway line from Tinsley Junction to Rotherham Central. The Supertram route to Meadowhall runs below part of the viaduct on the trackbed of the South Yorkshire Railway line to Barnsley.

History

Tinsley Viaduct lower deck

The lower deck of the viaduct was opened in March 1968 and the upper deck, carrying the M1, on 19 October 1968. The build cost was £6 million. The structure is unusual in that it is built as steel box girders, at a time when most long span bridges were being built of post-tensioned concrete deck design. The use of steel allowed a significant cost saving over alternative methods, but became controversial following two disasters involving steel bridges in 1970 (the West Gate Bridge in Australia and the Cleddau Bridge in Wales) and another in 1971 (the Koblenz South Bridge [de] in Germany). Fifty-one people were killed in these failures, leading in the UK to the formation of the Merrison Committee. The report of the Merrison committee resulted in the temporary closure of two of the carriageways on the lower deck and two on the upper deck, the installation of extra steel strengthening bands around the bridge's support columns and other works which were completed in 1983. A further programme of strengthening was completed in 2006. The recent work to strengthen the bridge was a very complex operation, with a lot of the work happening inside the box beam spine. The works took over 3 years and cost £82 million (nearly 9 times the original bridge building cost, adjusting for inflation). The strengthening project won the British construction industry's Major Project Award in 2005.

Although originally designed to carry a dual 3-lane motorway on the top deck, during and subsequent to the strengthening work the M1 was reduced to 2 lanes following an EU directive on load bearing capacity to allow for the introduction of 40-tonne trucks in the UK. This arrangement allowed the third lane in each direction to join from Junction 34 to make the busy junction safer. Since the opening of the M1 junction 32 to 35a smart motorway scheme in January 2017, the viaduct once again carries 3 lanes of traffic plus hard shoulders in each direction.

The viaduct is balanced on rollers to allow for thermal expansion and contraction, and the route weaves slightly in order to make its way past obstacles. The viaduct, due to its construction, is very flexible. Movement may be felt on the lower deck as the traffic passes overhead. The Meadowhall Shopping Centre lies in the valley to the west; to the east is the Blackburn Meadows sewage works and new biomass power station.

Tinsley cooling towers

Main article: Blackburn Meadows Power Station
Demolition of Tinsley cooling towers on 24 August 2008.

The viaduct is one of Sheffield's most prominent landmarks, and was once made all the more so by the adjacent pair of cooling towers that were left standing for safety reasons after the demolition of the Blackburn Meadows Power Station. The cooling towers were a major point of contention over the years and were once saved from destruction only after being chosen as a nesting site by a rare bird. More recently, plans were made to turn them into a piece of public art. Other plans for the towers included concert halls, skate parks and a theme park.

Their iconic status, and the possibly prohibitive costs of demolishing the towers safely, looked to have cemented their status in Sheffield's future as much as they were a part of its history, until the owner of the towers (and the now-demolished power station), E.ON UK, stated its intention to demolish them once the strengthening of the viaduct made it feasible.

The 250 feet (76 m) towers were demolished at 03:00 BST on 24 August 2008, though a significant portion of the north tower remained standing for a short while. The demolition attracted widespread attention. A viewing platform was set up so the public could watch the demolition. Part of the site has been converted for use as a biomass power station by the owners E.ON UK.

In popular culture

The Tinsley Viaduct is featured among several other locations as the site of "ground zero" for a fictional Soviet Union nuclear strike on Sheffield depicted in Threads (1984), a depiction of what might have happened had NATO and the Soviet Union entered conflict over hypothetical instability in Iran that escalated into full nuclear war. In the ensuing nuclear exchange, a one-megaton nuclear missile explodes above the Tinsley Viaduct, devastating most of surrounding Sheffield.

See also

References

  1. "Tinsley Viaduct". Highways Agency. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  2. "Safespan's Latest News". Safespan Inc. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  3. ^ "M1 Aston-Sheffield-Leeds". The Motorway Archive Trust. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2007.
  4. ^ "Superway". The Guardian. 21 October 1968. p. 12. Retrieved 27 January 2019. – via newspapers.com (subscription required)
  5. "Tinsley viaduct strengthening project, Sheffield". Prime Minister's Award. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  6. Leleux, Sydney A. (February 1969). "Tinsley Viaduct, Sheffield". Retrieved 16 November 2006.
  7. Department of the Environment (Merrison Committee of Inquiry) (1973). Inquiry into the Basis of Design and Method of Erection of Steel Box Girder Bridges. London: HMSO.
  8. "£82 Million M1 Tinsley Viaduct strengthening work nears completion". Highways Agency. 10 October 2005. Retrieved 16 November 2006.
  9. "Transforming the M1 in Yorkshire and the East Midlands". gov.uk. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  10. "Turning towers into art". BBC News. BBC. 8 July 2006. Retrieved 28 August 2006.
  11. "August demolition date set for Tinsley cooling towers". E.ON UK. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
  12. "Blast demolishes landmark towers". BBC News. BBC. 24 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  13. "E.ON UK Blackburn Meadows Green powerstation". E.ON. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  14. "E.ON's Blackburn Meadows biomass plant generates electricity | Bioenergy Insight Magazine". bioenergy-news.com. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.

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