QE2 bridge construction

Following four photos show stages in construction of the bridge.

Early stage in construction. Concrete piers, 53 metres in height are being constructed. These support the road deck.

Below. One of the two concrete caissons which support the bridge's piers. Each has a volume equivalent to 400 double-decker buses and weighs a total of 85,000 tonnes.

Below. Steel pylons 84 metres high, rise from the road deck. Strong, galvanised spiral-strand cables are anchored down the height of each pylon and connect along the length of the road deck.

Below. The height of the road deck above the river ensures that shipping can pass safely under it. A vertical navigation clearance of 57.5 metres is necessary to enable this. The bridge is 137 metres high in total.