The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-24 00:00:00

NEW IVESTIIIINSTE.R BRIDGE.

Such has been the progress of the new bridge at
Westminster since our previous notice, in the face
of " strikes," and the severity of the weather lat-
terly, that its first half is now ready to be opened
at any time for the public traffic of the western
end of the metropolis to the Surrey side of the
water. It is probable, however, that the opening
may be delayed in consequence of the lamented and
somewhat premature death of, her Majesty's Chief
Commissioner of Works.

Independent of the great merit of the now struc-
ture, as illustrating a fine example of the combina-
tion of stone and iron in design,
we may inform
our readers that its roadway is planned in the most
ingenious manner to meet the wants of an excessive
traffic, both for vehicles and foot passengers.
Agreeable to the present arrangement in refer-
ence to the first half of the bridge which is just
completed, we may state that it comprehends a
width of 36 feet, and in its central portion there are
two tramways, constructed exclusively for the
heavy goods traffic, and a macadamised roadway at
the side, 16 feet in width, to be specially devoted to
cabs, and other light vehicles.
The tramways are 6 feet 9 inches in width, and
have footways on each side, 3 feet in width, for the
exclusive use of the drivers of heavily laden vans,
waggons, carts, &c. The centre portions of these
peculiar tramways are composed of granite, and the
surface on which the wheels of vehicles will work
are of wrought iron, bedded on pine balk timber.
In covering the fine elliptical arches of the
bridge great ingenuity has been displayed so as to
lighten the pressure on what is technically called
the "crown,' which is covered with a mixture of
cork and bitumen, the haunches being filled with
m
concrete, above which, in the centre, there is a
thickness of six inches of granite pitching, and on
tho haunches a layer of nine inches in thickness.
As viewed from the river, the half of the new
bridge, now nearly completed, has a very fine effect,
enhanced in no small degree by its noble octangular
iron arches of
eplileirpteicfal g ranite,aild i
curvature,
tt,aschexlonsi theirive class being
amongst the finest examples of granite and iron
work that we have seen. To give our readers some
idea of these granite piers, We msy state that the
blocks of which they are constructed in their rough
state varied in weight from fifteen to twenty tons
each, an I they have been cut in moulded basements
and cornices in the most admirable manner, more
than rivalling the works of the Egyptians in hard
materials. The iron arches have been cast and
fitted at the extensive iron works'of Messrs. I 'och-
rime and Co., Woodside ironworki, near Dudley,
and it is only justice to remark that they are every-
thing that could be wished in every respect. The
granite, as used in the piers, &c., is from the Eng-
lish quarries in Cornwall and Devon, and Supplied
by Messrs. Freeman and Co., Milibanic ; the Cheese-
wring Granite Company ; and the Devon Ilayter
Granite Company.
Th,e abutments of the bridge on each side of the
Thames, together with their dry arches, 8,7 c., are
constructed of brick, faced with Portland stone, of
excellent quality, procured from the old bridge, and
reworked.
We may add that the entire abutment of the
bridge on the Surrey side of the Thames is com-
pleted, that on the Middlesex side is in an advanced.