5150 x 3448 px | 43,6 x 29,2 cm | 17,2 x 11,5 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
Mai 2008
Ort:
Rotherhithe Tunnel, Tunnel Approach, London, SE16, England, United Kingdom, UK
Weitere Informationen:
There is an inscription above the entrance of the tunnel 'This tunnel, constructed by The London County Council, was opened by HRH The Prince of Wales KG on the 12th June 1908 Maurice Fitzmaurice CMG engineer' An extract from http://www.kingstairs.com/rotherhithe/roadtunnel.html "The Rotherhithe tunnel was authorised by the Thames Tunnel (Rotherhithe and Ratcliff) Act of 1900, and built on behalf of London County Council following much local opposition as 3, 000 local residents were displaced by the work. It was designed by Sir Maurice Fitzemaurice, engineer to the London County Council, to serve foot and horse-drawn traffic passing between the docks on either side of the river. The roadways are therefore narrow (8 feet (2.4 m) wide), there are footways on each side, there is a maximum gradient of 1 in 36, to cater for non-mechanised traffic and there are right-angled bends at the points where the tunnel goes under the river bed to both avoid the local docks on each side of the river, and prevent horses from seeing daylight and bolting for the exit. The tunnel was built between 1904 and 1908 by Price and Reeves under the direction of resident engineer Edward H. Tabor using both cut and cover (at the entrances) and tunneling shield excavation. It cost £1m and a plaque over the tunnel entrances shows it was opened on June 12, 1908 by by George, Prince of Wales (later King George V), and Richard Robinson, Chairman of the London County Council. The single bore two lane tunnel is 4, 860 feet (1, 481 m) long, is 48 feet (14.5 m) below the high-water level of the Thames to allow for the passage of large ships. Four shafts were sunk for access and ventilation, two of which (2 and 3) were fitted with spiral staircases for pedestrian access, closed following war damage, now repaired but not yet reopened." Bill Brand BillBrand
