Editing Humber Bridge

{{short description|Suspension bridge in England}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{For|the bridge in Toronto, Canada|Humber Bay Arch Bridge}}
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name   = Humber Bridge 
|image         = Humber Bridge2.png
|caption       = The Humber Bridge, Lincolnshire/East Yorkshire
|official_name =
|carries       = 4 lanes of motor traffic ([[A15 road (Great Britain)|A15]]), pedestrian- cycle-way either side
|crosses       = [[Humber]]
|locale        = [[Hessle|Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire]]/[[North Lincolnshire]]
|maint         = The Humber Bridge Board
|design        = [[Suspension bridge|Suspension]]
|mainspan      = {{cvt|1410|m|ft+mi}}
|length        = {{cvt|2220|m|ft+mi}}
|width         = {{cvt|28.5|m|ft|0}}
|height        = {{cvt|155.5|m|ft}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Explore The Bridge :: Engineering :: Technical Information |url=http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/explore_the_bridge/engineering/technical_information.php |url-status=dead |publisher=The Humber Bridge Board |access-date=13 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116135046/http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/explore_the_bridge/engineering/technical_information.php |archive-date=16 January 2018}}</ref>
|fabricator    = [[Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company]]
|clearance     =
|below         =
| heritage     = [[Listed building|Grade I listed]]
|traffic       = 33,000 vehicles<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.humberbridge.co.uk/about-us/ |website=Humber Bridge |access-date=10 October 2024}}</ref>
|cost          = £98,000,000<br />£151,000,000 including interest at completion<ref>{{cite news |title=Shock revelation about the Humber Bridge |url=http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Shock-revelation-Humber-Bridge/story-19992496-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |newspaper=[[Grimsby Telegraph]] |date=26 October 2013 |access-date=13 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503153645/http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Shock-revelation-Humber-Bridge/story-19992496-detail/story.html |archive-date=3 May 2014}}</ref>
|open          = To traffic on 24 June 1981<br />Officially on 17 July 1981
|closed        =
|toll          = {{plainlist|Toll/Humbertag discount
* Motorcycle (+sidecar): £'''0.00'''
* up to 3.5 t, caravans/motorhomes, cars with trailers: £'''1.50'''/'''1.35'''
* 2 axle vehicles, 3.5–7.5 t, 9–16 passenger minibus, bus/coaches, agricultural vehicles: £'''4:00'''/'''3.60'''
* min 3 axles and over 7.5 t: £'''12.00'''/'''10.80'''}}<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Toll Charges / Restrictions |url=https://www.humberbridge.co.uk/humberbridge/toll-charges-restrictions/ |website=humberbridge.co.uk |publisher=Humber Bridge Board |date=28 December 2019 |access-date=28 December 2019}}</ref>
|coordinates   = {{coord|53.7064|-0.4500|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
}}

The '''Humber Bridge''' is a {{cvt|2.22|km|yd+ft+mi|adj=mid}} single-span road [[suspension bridge]] near [[Kingston upon Hull]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], England. When it opened to traffic on 24 June 1981, it was the longest of its type in the world; the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] surpassed it in 1998, and it became the [[List of longest suspension bridge spans|thirteenth-longest]] by 2024.

The bridge spans the [[Humber]] (an [[estuary]] formed by the rivers [[River Trent|Trent]] and [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|Ouse]]), between [[Barton-upon-Humber]] on the south bank and [[Hessle]] on the north bank, connecting the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]] with [[North Lincolnshire]]. Both sides of the bridge were in the [[non-metropolitan county]] of [[Humberside]] until its dissolution in 1996. The bridge can be seen for miles around, from as far as [[Patrington]] in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and from out to sea miles off the coast. It is a [[Listed building|Grade I listed building]].

By 2006, the bridge carried an average of 120,000 vehicles per week.<ref name="traffic">{{cite web |title=Traffic statistics 1996–2006 |url=http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/trafficstatistics.php |url-status=dead |publisher=The Humber Bridge Board |access-date=26 December 2007 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804093935/http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/trafficstatistics.php |archive-date=4 August 2012}}</ref> The toll was £3.00 each way for cars (higher for commercial vehicles), which made it the most expensive toll crossing in the United Kingdom.<ref name=mostexpensive>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge toll 'becomes UK's most expensive' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15128181 |website=[[BBC News]] |date=1 October 2011 |access-date=1 October 2011}}</ref> In April 2012, the toll was halved to £1.50 each way after the UK government deferred £150&nbsp;million from the bridge's outstanding debt.<ref name=tollreduction>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge toll reduction will 'boost economy' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-17553448 |website=BBC News |date=30 March 2012 |access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge travellers see toll reduction |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-17577664 |website=BBC News |date=1 April 2012 |access-date=2 April 2012}}</ref>

==History==
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2018}}<!--many paragraphs and subsections without citations-->
Before the bridge, commuters crossed the Humber on the [[Humber Ferry]] from Corporation Pier at Hull and [[New Holland Pier railway station|New Holland Pier]] at [[New Holland, North Lincolnshire|New Holland]], Lincolnshire, or by road via the [[M62 motorway|M62]] (from 1976), [[M18 motorway (Great Britain)|M18]] (from 1979) and [[M180 motorway|M180]] motorways, crossing, by way of the [[Ouse Bridge (M62)|Ouse Bridge]], the [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|River Ouse]] near [[Goole]] (connected to the Humber).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kershaw |first1=Ronald |title=Humber Bridge will close the Hull communications gap |work=The Times |issue=58,660 |date=19 December 1972 |page=23|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Until the mid-1970s the route south was via the single-carriageway [[A63 road|A63]] and the [[A614 road|A614]] (via grid-locked [[Thorne, South Yorkshire|Thorne]]) where it met the busy [[A18 road (England)|A18]] and crossed the [[Stainforth and Keadby Canal]] at [[Keadby Bridge]], a [[swing bridge]], which formed a [[Traffic bottleneck|bottleneck]] on the route, and on through [[Finningley]] and [[Bawtry]], meeting the east–west [[A631 road|A631]].

The journey was along straight single-carriageway roads across foggy moors interrupted by bottlenecks for most of the journey to [[Blyth, Nottinghamshire]], where it met the A1, and the accident rate was high. Debates in Parliament were held on the low standard of the route across the windswept plains around Goole. It was not unexpected that under these conditions, a Humber Bridge, with connecting dual-carriageway approach roads and [[grade-separated]] junctions, would seem worthwhile. By the time the bridge opened, much of this inferior route had been transformed by dualling of the A63 and its bypasses, extending the M62 and the connecting of the M18 from Thorne to [[Wadworth]]. The obvious need for a Humber Bridge had been reduced by the late 1970s with the improvements of the [[List of motorways in the United Kingdom|motorway infrastructure]] in the region. Although welcome, these improvements detracted from the need for vehicles to cross a bridge from Hessle to Barton. The Humber Bridge was a victim of the success of the M62 before it opened. A hovercraft service, ''Minerva'' and ''Mercury'', linked Hull Pier and [[Grimsby Docks]] from February to October 1969 but suffered relatively frequent breakdowns.<ref>{{cite news |title=New hovercraft service |work=The Times |issue=57488 |date=18 February 1969 |page=2|issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

===Act of Parliament===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Humber Bridge Act 1959
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to provide for the construction and maintenance of a bridge across the river Humber with approach roads and other works to constitute a Board and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1959
| citation              = [[7 & 8 Eliz. 2]]. c. xlvi
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 29 July 1959
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Eliz2/7-8/46/pdfs/ukla_19590046_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
Plans for a bridge were drawn up in the 1930s when a team of engineers compiled a report on whether to bridge or tunnel the estuary. It was decided that a bridge would cost £1,750,000 over a tunnel which was costed at £7,200,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Crossing the Humber |work=The Times |issue=45459 |date=12 March 1930 |page=11|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Revised plans were unveiled in 1955, but work did not begin until 27 July 1972.<ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge Plan Revived |work=The Times |issue=53304 |date=20 August 1955 |page=3|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> The '''{{visible anchor|Humber Bridge Act 1959}}''' ([[7 & 8 Eliz. 2]]. c. xlvi), was promoted by [[Kingston Upon Hull Corporation]] and established the Humber Bridge Board to manage and raise funds to build the bridge and buy the land required for the approach roads.<ref>{{cite web |title=Humber Bridge Act 2013 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2013/6/enacted |quote=The Humber Bridge Act 1959 established the Humber Bridge Board ("the Board") and conferred powers on it to construct and maintain a bridge across the river Humber, together with approach roads and other works |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] on behalf of [[Government of the United Kingdom|HM Government]] |access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref>

===1966 Kingston upon Hull North by-election===
The allocation of funds proved impossible until the [[1966 Kingston upon Hull North by-election]]. Labour Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] prevailed upon his [[Secretary of State for Transport|Minister of Transport]] [[Barbara Castle]] to sanction the building of the bridge.<ref>{{cite news |last=Millward |first=David |title=Humber Bridge set to be electoral bribe again |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7560187/Humber-Bridge-set-to-be-electoral-bribe-again.html |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=7 April 2010 |access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> Dismay at the long wait for a crossing led to Christopher Rowe writing a protest song, "The Humber Bridge".<ref>{{cite web |title=Songs for Humberside |url=https://www.goole-on-the-web.org.uk/vol2/songs-for-humberside.html |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref>

===Design===
[[File:Humber Bridge under construction - geograph.org.uk - 1599900.jpg|thumb|The deck under construction in May 1980. The deck was erected between October 1979 and July 1980.]]
The [[consulting engineer]]s for the project were [[Freeman Fox & Partners]] (now [[Arcadis NV]]). Sir [[Ralph Freeman (civil engineer, born 1880)|Ralph Freeman]] had produced the first ideas in 1927 and in the early 1930s the cost of the project was estimated at £1.725&nbsp;million and that the bridge would be unlikely to recoup the construction or maintenance costs. In 1935 he had an idea for a {{cvt|4500|ft|m}} suspension bridge for the Humber Tunnel Executive Committee. Sir [[Gilbert Roberts]] produced more ideas in 1955 for a bridge with a {{cvt|4500|ft|m}} central span, costing £15&nbsp;million, to be paid for by [[East Riding County Council]] and [[Lindsey County Council]]. When it became likely that a bridge would be constructed, [[Imperial College London|Imperial College]]-educated [[Bernard Wex]] OBE (1922–1990) produced the design in 1964 that was actually built.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-27-mn-28-story.html|title=Bernard Wex; British Bridge Designer|date=27 August 1990|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> The bridge was built to last 120 years.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Dave |title=How we made the Humber Bridge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/sep/17/strachan-stockwell-humber-bridge |work=The Guardian |date=17 September 2012 |access-date=22 January 2019 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The architect was R. E. Slater [[Royal Institute of British Architects|ARIBA]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Engineering Timelines – Humber Bridge |url=http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=76 |publisher=engineering-timelines.com |access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> The administration building (for the tolls) was designed by Parker & Rosner. The landscaping was designed by Prof Arnold Weddle. [[Wind tunnel]] testing took place at the National Maritime Institute (now part of [[BMT Limited]]) at [[Teddington]], and the road deck was designed for wind speeds up to {{convert|105|mph|-1}}, but storms featuring considerably lower wind speeds have been cited as grounds for emergency repairs in recent years.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

===Construction===
The main contractor for the steel superstructure was British Bridge Builders (the same grouping as for the Forth and Severn Road Bridges comprising Sir William Arrol & Co., then a unit of NEI Cranes Ltd, [[Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company]], and [[Dorman Long|Redpath Dorman Long Ltd]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Cleveland Bridge wins major contract to refurbish Humber Bridge |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/business/business-news/cleveland-bridge-wins-major-contract-15960933 |newspaper=Gazette Live |date=12 March 2019 |access-date=18 September 2021}}</ref> The contractor for the concrete towers, anchorages and sub-structure was [[John Howard (civil engineer)|John Howard & Co Ltd]] of [[Chatham, Kent]], which was later bought by [[Amec Foster Wheeler|Amec]].<ref>"Bridging the Humber" {{ISBN|0 9501098 6 X}} {{Full citation needed|date=May 2014}}{{page needed|date=May 2014}}</ref> Concrete was chosen for the towers, instead of steel, partly due to cost, but also to suit the landscape.<ref name=":0" />

Work began on the southern approach road in July 1972 by [[Clugston Group|Clugston Construction]] of Scunthorpe. The {{cvt|2.5|km|mi}} approach road to the A1077 junction, by [[Costain Group|Costain]] Civil Engineering, began in September 1976. It included a {{cvt|320|m|yd}} span from the southern anchorage of seven pre-stressed concrete box sections and the A1077 junction, costing £4.25&nbsp;million. Work on the bridge substructure (foundations) began in March 1973. To reduce heat of [[Hydration reaction|hydration]] in the concrete, which produces [[calcium silicate hydrate]] from [[belite]], as much as 60 per cent of the [[Portland cement]] was replaced with [[ground granulated blast-furnace slag]] (GGBS). It took longer to build the southern anchorage due to a [[Slurry wall|diaphragm wall]] design due to there not being enough shallow bedrock. The main southern approach roads from Barton to the [[M180 motorway]] junction at [[Barnetby]] were built in the late 1970s by Clugston Construction of Scunthorpe, opening in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonby, North Lincolnshire – Problem with your input |url=http://www.bonby.org/photos/photo?photo_id=412692 |url-status=dead |publisher=bonby.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007061758/http://www.bonby.org/photos/photo?photo_id=412692 |archive-date=7 October 2015}}</ref>

The towers were constructed by [[slipforming]] and the north tower was completed by May 1974. The southern foundations were completed in September 1975, with the pier completed in March 1976, and the southern tower was completed by September 1976; the bridge had been planned to open in 1976. The northern tower and anchorage was built on solid chalk but the southern tower and anchorage were built on fissured [[Kimmeridge Clay]], {{cvt|500|m|yd}} from the southern shore and built with a difficult [[Caisson (engineering)|caisson]] design. The subcontractor for the concrete was Tileman & Co. of [[Shipston-on-Stour]], south [[Warwickshire]].

Cable spinning took place between September 1977 and July 1979. Each cable weighs {{cvt|5500|t|LT}}, with 37 strands of 404 lengths of cable. The cable on the northern span has four extra strands. Each cable can take a load of {{cvt|19400|t|LT}}. The deck is of [[box girder]] form, the box sections around {{cvt|140|t|LT}} each. The first box sections were assembled in June 1975 and put into the main span on 9 November 1979. The toll buildings and north approach road were built by A.&nbsp;F. Budge of [[Retford]], Nottinghamshire, costing £2.9&nbsp;million. Work began on the administration building in November 1976. The toll system was manufactured by [[Siemens Plessey|Plessey Controls]] of [[Poole]], Dorset. Corrosion resistance on the steelwork was provided by Camrex Corrosion of [[Bellshill]], [[North Lanarkshire]]. The road was laid by [[Tarmac Group|Tarmac Roadstone]] of Wolverhampton with [[Asphalt concrete|mastic asphalt]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Machine layed mastic asphalt for Humber Bridge |format=PDF |url=http://www.ciht.org.uk/download.cfm/docid/561403E9-8292-4B16-8C4590E9D97D10E4 |journal=The Highway Engineer |date=July 1981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006225703/http://www.ciht.org.uk/download.cfm/docid/561403E9-8292-4B16-8C4590E9D97D10E4 |archive-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> In 2017, the bridge was designated a [[listed building|Grade I listed building]].<ref name=BBC40626412>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-40626412/humber-bridge-given-grade-i-listed-status |title=Humber Bridge given Grade I listed status |website=BBC News |date=17 July 2017 |access-date=17 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{NHLE |num=1447321 |desc=The Humber Bridge |access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref>

===A-frames===
At road level the deck was fastened to the towers through four rocking [[A-frames]], to allow for movement caused by the [[catenary]] supporting the deck from above deflecting with the weight of passing traffic, from [[thermal expansion]], and from changes in [[Wind engineering#Wind loads on buildings|wind loading]]. The devices catered for a maximum deflection of 2 metres. By 2011 it was noticed that the [[Plain bearing|pivot-pin bearings]] carrying the frames had worn, allowing them to drop towards the support structure. Each frame was replaced by two new components: a vertical linkage to cater for longitudinal movement and a sliding bearing for lateral displacement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Collins |first1=John |last2=Smith |first2=Daniel |title=A-frame rocker bearing replacement at Humber Bridge, UK |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Civil Engineering |volume=169 |issue=3 |pages=113–120 |date=August 2016 |doi=10.1680/jcien.15.00066 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Opening===
The bridge opened to traffic on 24 June 1981 at a final cost of £91&nbsp;million ({{Inflation|UK|91,000,000|1981|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-3}}).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kershaw |first1=Ronald |title=At a cost of £91m, the Humber Bridge opens |work=The Times |issue=60963 |date=25 June 1981 |page=32|issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref name="HBB History">{{cite web |title=Construction History |url=http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/explore.php |publisher=The Humber Bridge Board |url-status=dead |access-date=17 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206134602/http://www.humberbridge.co.uk/explore.php |archive-date=6 February 2006}}</ref> It was opened officially by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] on 17 July 1981, in a ceremony that included a prayer of dedication by the [[Archbishop of York]] and a fly-past by the [[Red Arrows]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="HBB History" />

===World record===
With a centre span of {{cvt|1410|m|ft+mi}} and a total length of {{cvt|2220|m|ft+mi}}, the Humber Bridge was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world for 17 years, until the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] opened in Japan on 5 April 1998.<ref name=itv/>

===Local benefits===
The road-distance between [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] and [[Grimsby]] fell by nearly {{cvt|60|mi|km|0}}; the town of [[Scunthorpe]] and environs were relieved of the passing traffic between Hull and Grimsby.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kershaw |first=Ronald |title=Not such a white elephant |work=The Times |issue=60773 |date=11 November 1980 |page=17|issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref name=itv>{{cite web |title=40 years since work began on Humber Bridge |url=http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2012-07-27/40-years-since-work-began-on-humber-bridge/ |publisher=ITV News |date=27 July 2012 |access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>

==Bridge statistics==
The bridge's surface takes the form of a [[dual carriageway]] with a lower-level foot and cycle path on both sides. There is a permanent {{cvt|50|mi/h|km/h|-1}} speed limit on the full length of the bridge.

Each tower consists of a pair of hollow vertical concrete columns, each {{cvt|155.5|m|ft|0}} tall and tapering from {{cvt|6|m|ft|0}} square at the base to {{cvt|4.5| ×|4.75|m|ft|1}} at the top. The bridge is designed to tolerate constant motion and bends more than {{cvt|3|m|ft|0}} in winds of {{cvt|80|mph|km/h|0}}. The towers, although vertical, are {{cvt|36|mm|in|1}} farther apart at the top than the bottom due to the [[curvature of the Earth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitgrimsby.co.uk/humber.htm|publisher=Visit Grimsby|title=The Humber Bridge|access-date=17 July 2016}}</ref>
The total length of the suspension cable is {{cvt|71000|km|mi}}.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Ian |title=Humberside pays £1.42 a second for bridge too far |work=The Times |issue=64904 |date=17 March 1994 |page=7|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> The north tower is on the bank and has foundations down to {{cvt|8|m|ft|0}}. The south tower is in the water, and descends to {{cvt|36|m|ft|0}} as a consequence of the shifting [[sandbank]]s that make up the estuary.

The bridge held the record for the world's [[List of longest suspension bridges|longest single-span suspension bridge]] for 17 years, from its opening in July 1981 until the opening of the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] in April 1998. In June 2024, it became the thirteenth-longest, single-span suspension bridge. The central span, at {{cvt|1410|m|ft+mi}}, is the longest in Britain and in the Western Hemisphere. It remains the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world that can be crossed on foot or by bicycle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bike99.com/37.html |title=Cycling the Bridge|accessdate=25 August 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905033042/http://www.bike99.com/37.html|archivedate=5 September 2010|url-status=dead}}{{dubious|date=March 2013|reason=Has anyone checked if the latest bridges to open can by cycles?}}</ref>
The bridge is crossed twice during the annual Humber Bridge [[Half Marathon]] in June,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humber-half.org.uk/|title=Humber Bridge Half Marathon Hull, East Yorkshire|publisher=humber-half.org.uk|access-date=7 January 2008}}</ref> and Hull [[Marathon]] in September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hullmarathon.co.uk/route-maps/|title=Hull Marathon|publisher=.hullmarathon.co.uk|access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref>

==Toll update project==
In July 2013, work began on introducing a new electronic tolling system.<ref name="Toll Booth Update">{{cite web|url=http://humberbridgetollproject.co.uk/ |title=Humber Bridge Toll project website|access-date=4 November 2014 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20141104234506/http://humberbridgetollproject.co.uk/the-new-toll-system | archive-date = 4 November 2014}}</ref> The existing Humber Bridge toll system was largely the same as it was when the bridge opened in 1981. The computer system was over 15 years old, absorbed an increasing amount of maintenance, and needed to be replaced.<ref name="Toll Booth Update" /> The project would decrease waiting times and was welcomed by business and transport leaders.<ref name="Toll Booth Update"/>

In the first phase, the toll booths and the toll plaza canopy were replaced, and in the second phase, writing, testing and setting up the new toll system was completed. From 2015 bridge users could set up an account with the bridge and pay into it.<ref>{{cite news | title = More than 100 near misses as drivers try to reverse out of wrong lane | newspaper = [[The Yorkshire Post]] | date = 25 October 2017 | url = https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/more-than-100-near-misses-as-drivers-try-to-reverse-out-of-wrong-lane-1-8823095 | access-date = 22 June 2018 | quote = The open road system, which was introduced in 2015, allows people to pay tickets electronically via the HumberTag website.}}</ref> Account holders receive a device called the HumberTAG, a small electronic tag that enables the system to recognise the bridge user; the toll is automatically deducted from the user's account. Two central lanes through the plaza are free-flowing; they do not have booths and account holders are able to cross the bridge without stopping.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.humberbridge.co.uk/humbertag/about.php | title = HumberTAG | publisher = The Humber Bridge Board | access-date = 22 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180622192952/https://www.humberbridge.co.uk/humbertag/about.php | archive-date = 22 June 2018 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==Incidents and suicides==
During construction of the bridge, the road deck sections were floated up on barges then hoisted into place by cables. During one of these lifting operations some of the cables on two of the road deck sections failed, leaving the sections hanging at an angle. The sections were subsequently installed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge road deck failure |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/image_galleries/humber_bridge_building_gallery.shtml?12 |work=BBC Humberside |date=October 2008 |access-date=17 March 2013}}</ref>

On more than 200 occasions, people have jumped or fallen from the bridge since it was opened in 1981; only five people have survived.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge jump attempts prevented |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/6747383.stm |website=BBC News |date=13 June 2007 |access-date=25 February 2010}}</ref> Between 1990 and February 2001 the Humber Rescue Team launched its boat 64 times to deal with people falling or jumping off the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |title=All in the Same Boat |url=http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/hullinprint/archive/febmar2001/to_the_rescue.html |work=Hull in print |publisher=Hull City Council |access-date=21 February 2007}}</ref> Notable incidents include the cases of a [[West Yorkshire]] woman and her two-year-old daughter who fell off the bridge in 2005 and that of a man jumping from the bridge to his death on the [[A63 road]] below in September 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pair recover from bridge plunge |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4085000.stm |website=BBC News |date=12 June 2006 |access-date=4 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Body discovered after bridge jump |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4958012.stm |website=BBC News |date=29 April 2006 |access-date=4 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge-fall son unlawfully killed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/4783517.stm |website=BBC News |date=11 August 2006 |access-date=26 February 2010}}</ref>

Plans were announced on 26 December 2009 to construct a [[suicide barrier]] along the walkways of the bridge; design constraints were cited as the reason for not installing barriers during the construction of the bridge.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/New-Humber-Bridge-fence-stop-suicide-bids/article-1644192-detail/article.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505080143/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/New-Humber-Bridge-fence-stop-suicide-bids/article-1644192-detail/article.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 May 2013 |title=New Humber Bridge fence to stop suicide bids |work=Hull and East Riding Mail |date=26 December 2009 |access-date=17 March 2013}}</ref>

In May 2017, a [[YouTuber]] with the username 'Night Scape', along with a small group, illegally scaled the bridge without safety equipment. The group of young men climbed up the structure to the top of the bridge using the suspension wires as handholds. [[Humberside Police]] and the Humber Bridge Board have reviewed the security measures.<ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge 'urban explorers' prompts security review |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-39947762 |website=BBC News |date=17 May 2017 |access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref>

On 3 April 2021, the Humber Bridge was closed to pedestrians and cyclists following an unspecified 'recent incident'.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 April 2021|title=Humber Bridge closes footpaths for 'an indefinite period'|website=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-56625186|access-date=3 April 2021}}</ref> The decision came after multiple deaths at the bridge in March.<ref>{{cite web|last=Standley|first=Nathan|date=3 April 2021|title=Humber Bridge footpaths closed indefinitely after 'recent incident'|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/authors/nathan-standley/humber-bridge-footpaths-closed-indefinitely-5261126|access-date=3 April 2021|website=HullLive}}</ref> Following the death of one individual that month, a petition calling for increased safety measures to 'secure' the bridge had gained thousands of signatures.<ref>{{cite web|last=Riley|first=Anna|date=29 March 2021|title=Thousands sign Humber Bridge petition for suicide safety measures|url=https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/thousands-sign-humber-bridge-petition-5239392|access-date=3 April 2021|website=HullLive}}</ref> Concerns were raised over how the change will affect those who commute on foot or by bike.<ref>{{cite news|date=4 April 2021|title=The measures to close off Humber Bridge as move divides opinion|work=GrimsbyLive|url=https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/measures-close-humber-bridge-move-5262002|access-date=4 April 2021|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> On 6 May 2021, the bridge was reopened to pedestrians and cyclists between 05:00 and 21:00; only users registered in advance could use the bridge outside of those hours. More CCTV and notices were erected and more staff assigned to patrol the crossing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge footpaths to reopen on Thursday |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-56987429 |website=BBC News |date=5 May 2021 |access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>

==Finances==
The bridge had a [[Toll bridge|toll charge]] of £1.50 for cars from 1 April 2012, until for six months it was £3.00 and the only trunk road British toll bridge to charge motorcycles (£1.20). In 2004 many motorcyclists held a slow-pay protest, taking off gloves and helmets and paying the toll in large denomination bank notes. Police reported that the protest caused a queue {{cvt|4|mi|km|0}} long.{{citation needed|date = June 2015}}

In 1996, Parliament passed the [[Humber Bridge (Debts) Act 1996]] to reorganise the board's liabilities to ensure the bridge could be safely maintained. Much of the interest on the debt was suspended and deferred in a refinancing which saw no write off – the balance was to be paid using tolls.

In 2006, [[Shona McIsaac]], Labour MP for [[Cleethorpes (UK Parliament constituency)|Cleethorpes]], tabled a [[Private Member's Bill]], the Humber Bridge Bill.<ref>{{cite web |title=MP in Commons move to exempt hospital patients from bridge toll |url=http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=1321965 |url-status=dead |work=Yorkshire Post |date=20 January 2006 |access-date=13 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060810183234/http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084 |archive-date=10 August 2006}}</ref> The bill would have made amendments to the Humber Bridge Act 1959 ([[7 & 8 Eliz. 2]]. c. xlvi) "requiring the Secretary of State to give directions to members of the Humber Bridge Board regarding healthcare and to review the possibility of facilitating journeys across the Humber Bridge in relation to healthcare". The aim was to allow patients travelling between the banks for medical treatment to cross without paying the toll and to allow the Secretary of State for Transport to appoint two members of the board to represent the interests of the NHS. Even though the Bill received cross-party support (it was co-sponsored by Shadow Home Secretary [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] and supported by all other MPs representing North Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire) it ran out of time later that year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Humber Bridge Bill (Failed Bill 2005–06 session) |url=http://www.epolitix.com/EN/Legislation/200508/5ea026d0-f905-4772-9910-51d65ef9f9ae.htm |publisher=ePolitix.com |date=4 August 2005 |access-date=21 March 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930202844/http://www.epolitix.com/EN/Legislation/200508/5ea026d0-f905-4772-9910-51d65ef9f9ae.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref>

A protest at the bridge on 1 September 2007 was supported by the local Cancer Patients Involvement Group, the [[Road Haulage Association]], [[Diana Wallis]] (MEP for [[Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)|Yorkshire and the Humber]]) and local business and council representatives.<ref>{{cite news |title=Protest over Humber Bridge tolls |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/6973691.stm |website=BBC News |date=1 September 2007 |access-date=10 September 2007}}</ref> The government responded to the petition on 14 January 2008, stating that "Concessions or exemptions from tolls on the Humber Bridge are a matter for the Humber Bridge Board".<ref>{{cite web |title=Humber-Bridge – epetition reply |url=http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14247.asp |url-status=dead |work=Official 10 Downing Street Website |access-date=15 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117034658/http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14247.asp |archive-date=17 January 2008}}</ref>

In October 2008, a joint campaign was launched by the ''Scunthorpe Telegraph'', ''Hull Daily Mail'' and ''Grimsby Telegraph'' to abolish the toll. The papers' campaign, A Toll Too Far, was launched after a mooted increase in the toll. The campaign was to stave off a potential increase, secure a reduction to £1.00 and ultimately to be abolished. Thousands of readers backed the campaign with a paper and an online petition.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

A public inquiry into the tolls was held in March 2009 by independent inspector Neil Taylor. In July 2009, the [[Department for Transport]] announced that it had decided not to allow the proposed increase. Transport Minister [[Sadiq Khan]] said he did not believe it was right for the tolls to be raised in the current economic climate.<ref>{{cite news |title=No rise for Humber Bridge tolls |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/8177060.stm |website=BBC News |date=30 July 2009 |access-date=6 February 2010}}</ref> In October 2009, the [[Government of the United Kingdom|government]] approved a £6&nbsp;million grant for [[Maintenance, repair, and operations|maintenance costs]], which meant that there would be no toll increase before 2011 at the earliest, by which time tolls would have been frozen for five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=No bridge toll rise for 18 months |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/8327862.stm |website=BBC News |date=27 October 2009 |access-date=6 February 2010}}</ref>

The board applied again to the Department of Transport in September 2010, to raise the tolls from April 2011 but the government ordered a public inquiry into the application.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-11444061|title=Humber Bridge toll rise bid prompts public inquiry|date=30 September 2010|website=BBC News  |access-date=31 January 2011}}</ref> A three-day public inquiry was held in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] in early March 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-12673527|title=Inquiry into Humber Bridge toll increase plan|date=8 March 2011 |website=BBC News |access-date=14 March 2011}}</ref> Following the recommendation by the planning inspector, the government gave approval, on 14 June 2011, for the increase.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-13763317|title=Humber Bridge 11% toll increase approved|date=14 June 2011|website=BBC News |access-date=14 June 2011}}</ref> The toll was raised on 1 October 2011, at which point it became the most expensive in the United Kingdom.<ref name=mostexpensive/> The [[Severn Bridge]]/[[Second Severn Crossing]] charged £5.70 for Wales-bound traffic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toll Prices |url=http://www.severnbridge.co.uk/toll_prices.shtml |publisher=Severn River Crossing PLC |url-status=dead |access-date=1 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927174238/http://www.severnbridge.co.uk/toll_prices.shtml |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref>

In the 2011 Autumn Statement on 29 November, the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], [[George Osborne]], announced that the government had agreed to reduce the debt on the bridge by £150&nbsp;million, which would allow the toll for cars to be halved to £1.50.<ref>{{cite news |title=Government agrees to halve Humber Bridge tolls |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15945226 |website=BBC News |date=29 November 2011 |access-date=29 November 2011}}</ref> Following the government accepting the agreement, between the four local councils, to meet a portion of the debt if revenues proved insufficient, the Transport Secretary, [[Justine Greening]], confirmed the reduction on 29 February 2012, with effect from April.<ref>{{cite news |title=Humber Bridge tolls to be halved |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-17209784 |website=BBC News |date=29 February 2012 |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>

==Image gallery==
<gallery>
Humber Bridge South Bank2.jpg|View from the south bank showing the curvature of the bridge
Humber Bridge Control Offices - geograph.org.uk - 561528.jpg|Humber bridge control room
Humber bridge walkway.jpg|View from the eastern walkway
Humberbridgetowercloseup.jpg|Close up of a bridge tower
Humber Bridge00026.jpg|View from below the Humber Bridge towers taken from north bank
Humber bridge.jpg|View from north bank west side
Humber bridge north_bank1.jpg|View from the north bank under the road
Humber Bridge Tower.JPG|Humber Bridge Tower
Humber Bridge Walkway.JPG|Humber Bridge Walkway
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Humber Bridge}}
* [http://www.humberbridge.co.uk Humber Bridge Board]
* [https://archive.today/20121223234850/http://www.humber-rescue.org.uk/ Humber Rescue], based underneath the bridge
* {{Structurae|id=20000290|title=Humber Bridge}}

{{LongestBridge
| type = suspension
| start = 1981
| end = 1998
| previous = Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
| current = Humber Bridge
| next = Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
}}

{{UK suspension bridges}}
{{Road bridges in Yorkshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bridges completed in 1981]]
[[Category:Bridges in Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Bridges in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Concrete bridges in England]]
[[Category:Hessle]]
[[Category:Humber]]
[[Category:Humberside]]
[[Category:Borough of North Lincolnshire]]
[[Category:Suspension bridges in England]]
[[Category:Toll bridges in England]]
[[Category:Transport in Kingston upon Hull]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:World record holders]]
[[Category:Grade I listed bridges]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in the East Riding of Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Lincolnshire]]