November 1967
The Senior Warden, Moreton Thorpe Knight, preparing to winch the first steel box girder section for the new road bridge with the disused South Eastern and Chatham Railway bridge in the background.
January 1968
Sections of the twin box girders (total 412 tons) in position after erection between the wrought iron girders of the old railway bridge.
March 1968
Burning away the old wrought iron girders. One of the new steel box girders can be seen behind with RSJ ‘needles’ attached to it. These ‘needles’ transfer the weight of the old to the new girders.
March 1968
Construction of the Strood Abutment of the Old Ship Passage span, showing part of the old railway arches behind
July 1968
Demolishing the Strood Pier prior to erecting the trestling for jacking down the box girders. In the river a barge and tugboat await to carry away the debris for disposal.
July 1968
Preparing to jack down the new box girders supported on military trestling. Sixteen 100-ton jacks were used to lower the bridge 7 foot 5 inches over its entire length in 1-inch increments.
November 1968
The demolition of the Island Pier after completion, showing the reinforced concrete columns in the foreground taking the load of the new box girders still 9 inches above their final position.
February 1969
The construction of the Rochester Pier in the foreground with the temporary Strood Pier in the background.
March 1969
The completed new reinforced concrete Strood and Rochester Piers supporting the box girders on their rubber bearings.
May 1969
Mono rail units placing the concrete for bridge deck sections. The main sections were 8 feet 6 inches wide, and the intermediate sections 2 feet 6 inches wide to control the shrinkage cracks.
October 1969
View of the new road bridge and its approaches from the Rochester side showing the completed bridge deck in relation to the existing road and rail bridges.
October 1969
The downstream underside of the completed bridge deck with the painting cradle attached. The cradle travels the whole length of the steel girders, rotating 90 degrees to pass through the piers.
January 1970
Hand laid mastic asphalting in progress on the bridge surface.
February 1970
Downstream view of the completed bridge.
June 1977
Aerial view of traffic crossing from Rochester to Strood on the Old Bridge and from Strood to Rochester on the New Bridge.
