The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Spanning the Humber
From the massive concrete anchor points, to 44,000 miles of cabling and huge road sections floating down the Humber, be prepared to marvel.
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Overview
A chance to see in some detail the construction of what proved to be the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world for 17 years, and wonder at this monumental feat of British engineering. The documentary takes us from the very first drilling right through the entire process of construction that took some ten years to complete; with everything about this mammoth project impressive, even for the layman. It includes the entirety of the Queen’s opening speech.
Just over two years after its opening to traffic in June 1981, Yorkshire Television broadcast this documentary specially commissioned by the Humber Bridge Board, which had been established by the Wilson government in 1969. A political project right from the start, the bridge has remained the centre of controversy regarding the payment of the debt, which has been renegotiated several times, and the tolls, with protests by both motorcyclists and those needing to cross the Bridge for health related reasons. Although it is now only the seventh longest single-span suspension bridge, it is still the only one that can be crossed by foot or bicycle.
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