|
|
|
 |
|
Home Page
|
Tinsley Viaduct and Towers
But we're going to talk about those towers, as they were an iconic symbol of the M1. And we're going to talk about the viaduct that carried said motorway past those towers.
A British First
The structure is the only twin-deck viaduct in the UK - the M1 is carried on the top deck, whilst the lower deck carries the A631 between the two halves of Junction 34. At ¾ mile long, the viaduct also has the job of carrying the motorway over numerous railway lines, factories and a canal! This made construction difficult, due to the lack of access to the construction site, although the railway did help with the delivery of materials. The viaduct itself is principally made up of longitudinal steel box girders, each weighing 25 tons and measuring 15 metres in length. This is unusual, as most long span bridges were constructed using post tension concrete. The structure is also balanced on rollers to allow the bridge to expand and contract as the temperature fluctuates. During its history, Tinsley Viaduct has seen two sets of strengthening work - in 1983 and 2003 to 2006. The most recent set of works were carried out to allow 40 ton trucks to use the viaduct, as required by a recently introduced European directive. However, it has meant the road has been reduced from three to two lanes in either direction, although this has helped alleviate congestion on either side due to providing additional queuing capacity on the exits to Junction 34.
In addition, during the course of the three year scheme - which cost £81
million to undertake, used the following: That's a lot of materials!!!!
A Towering Welcome
Towers six and seven were constructed in 1937-8 as Sheffield Corporation were fulfilling the need for additional electricity to be generated - the Blackburn Meadows power station was itself built in 1921. The powerful steel industry was the driving force towards the need for two extra cooling towers to be constructed. After the power station had closed in the 1970s, the government earmarked it for demolition. Whilst the rest of the station suffered that fate, towers six and seven were not to go down that route. The reason for this was due to the motorway - the viaduct's proximity to the towers, as little as 17 metres, declared any demolition as unsafe. The reason was that the government believed there was a risk that an explosion could seriously weaken the viaduct, and subsequently cause its collapse. So they were to remain, as a legacy to the industrious past that adorned this area. Yet during the time they remained derelict, they became a local icon. Locals and passing motorists loved and hated them, however they gained recognition as being a "gateway" into the region - many saw it as the sign of nearing home, others saw it as the entry point into the north of England. The towers were even affectionately given nicknames, "Salt" and "Pepper". Even English Heritage got in on the act, demanding the towers be listed and preserved for future generations; despite the authorities recommending the listing status be applied, the process was not pushed through.
The towers themselves were unique, in that they were the only pre-1950s hyperbolic cooling towers left standing by the time of their demise. However, their derelict state meant that they deteriorated to a point where E-ON declared them unsafe. They said it would cost too much to restore them, and have decided to construct a biomass power plant on the site instead. Consideration is being made for a permanent landmark to be installed on the site where the towers once stood. E-ON have stated there would be enough room to build the new power station without the need to build on the space the towers occupied, and they have placed money aside to fund the project. One possibility is a "replica" pair of towers, albeit not made of concrete.
Demolition Video Below is a video documenting the demolition of the Tinsley Towers, produced by Leon Lockley.
|
| ||||||
|
All content in this site is Copyright
© 2008 to Road to Nowhere, except where
credited appropriately. | ||||||||
The
area of Tinsley, to the east of Sheffield, used to have three famous landmarks.
Now it only has two, as one was recently demolished. They were a shopping
centre, a pair of towers and a viaduct. However, the towers are no longer,
having been blown to smithereens over the August 2008 bank holiday weekend.
The
Tinsley Viaduct carries the M1 over the River Don to the east of Sheffield. It
was officially opened in March 1968, having been built by Cleveland Bridge and
Engineering Co, at a cost of £6 million. However, it holds a secret that those
travelling over the viaduct will not see.
For
forty years, drivers and passengers alike were greeted by the two giants
of industry as they trundled along the M1. The Tinsley towers stood 70
metres tall and aimed to provide a lasting impression of their journeys
along the motorway - in fact they were perhaps just as famous as the M1
itself.
However, with the viaduct being strengthened in
2003-6, E-ON - who by now owned the Blackburn Meadows site - stated that
it would be possible to demolish the towers without putting the viaduct
at risk. After many local campaigns and protests, the towers were
brought down at 3am on Sunday 26th August 2008.