The Iron Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 52°37′38″N 2°29′08″W / 52.627245°N 2.485533°W |
Carries | Pedestrian traffic |
Crosses | River Severn |
Locale | Ironbridge Gorge near Coalbrookdale |
Owner | Telford and Wrekin Council |
Heritage status | Grade I listed |
Characteristics | |
Design | cast-iron arch bridge |
Width | 250 |
Longest span | 100 ft 6 in (30.63 m) |
History | |
Construction start | November 1777 |
Construction end | July 1779 |
Opened | 1 January 1781 |
Location | |
The Iron Bridge was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron.[1] It crosses the River Severn at the Ironbridge Gorge near the village of Ironbridge, in Shropshire, England.
The bridge is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1] It is maintained by English Heritage who launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2017 to support a conservation project which began in 2018.[2] As well as repairing rusted parts of the bridge, it was painted red to match a painting from 1777 showing how the Iron Bridge looked soon after it was finished.[3]