France - Martou Bridge

 

Stamp Issue : 1968-07-20 

Martou Bridge in Rochefort is a transporter bridge (also Ferry Bridge or aerial transfer bridge) is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be able to pass.
The Bridge built by Ferdinand Arnodin in 1900. It has a central movable span with 92.40 meters (when it was built it was the biggest in Europe) and changes its elevation in 28 meters. It is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees. It connects Middlesbrough on the south bank to Port Clarence on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car' or 'gondola' suspended from the bridge, across the river in 90 seconds. The cart can carry 200 people, 9 cars or 6 cars and one minibus. It carries the A178 road from Middlesbrough to Hartlepool.