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British Bridges Trivia Quiz

Many of Great Britain's bridges are known throughout the world by virtue of their history and design. This quiz looks at ten of the more iconic amongst them.

A multiple-choice quiz by Dave1968. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Dave1968

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
280,391

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1737

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (10/10), Guest 94 (8/10), Guest 20 (5/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In which year was London's Tower Bridge opened? Hint

1894

1794

1994

1694

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which bridge, opened in 1966, carries the M48 motorway from England into Wales, over the estuary of the UK's longest river? Hint

Humber Bridge

Thelwall Viaduct

Forth Bridge

Severn Bridge

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which cantilever bridge, which reputedly takes a long time to paint, opened in 1890 and carries the railway from Edinburgh into Fife? Hint

Tay Bridge

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Forth Bridge

Tamar Bridge

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which railway bridge collapsed in a storm in 1879? Hint

Forth Bridge

Tay Bridge

London Bridge

Tyne Bridge

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which bridge, opened in 1781, crossing the River Severn near Telford, was reputedly the first of its kind to use a certain material? Hint

The Steel Bridge at Steelbridge

The Wooden Bridge at Woodbridge

The Stone Bridge at Stoneybridge

The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is peculiar about the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the River Thames at Dartford? Hint

It has tolls at both ends, so you pay twice to cross.

Traffic only drives over it in one direction.

It has no sides, which encourages motorists to drive slower.

Aircraft landing at a nearby airport fly underneath its main span.

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following bridges is similar in construction to the Tyne Bridge, which connects Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Gateshead? Hint

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City

Golden Gate Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of the following bridges does NOT cross the River Thames in London? Hint

Erskine Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Westminster Bridge

Vauxhall Bridge

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which island is connected to the mainland via a bridge? Hint

St Marys (Scilly Isles)

The Isle of Wight

Anglesey

The Isle of Man

10. What was the name of the Victorian engineer was responsible for the design of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and the Royal Albert Bridge across the River Tamar on the Devon/Cornwall border? Hint

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Thomas Telford

Sir Christopher Wren

George Stephenson

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Nov 18 2024 : Guest 86: 10/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which year was London's Tower Bridge opened?

Answer: 1894

Construction of the bridge started in 1886, and the bridge was formally opened on 30th June 1894 by the prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). The bridge cost just over �1,000,000 to build.

2. Which bridge, opened in 1966, carries the M48 motorway from England into Wales, over the estuary of the UK's longest river?

Answer: Severn Bridge

The bridge was opened on 8th September 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II. It originally carried the M4 motorway, but when the second Severn Crossing was built in 1996, this carried the M4 instead. The old segment of the M4 was duly renamed the M48.

3. Which cantilever bridge, which reputedly takes a long time to paint, opened in 1890 and carries the railway from Edinburgh into Fife?

Answer: Forth Bridge

"Painting the Forth Bridge" is a phrase used for a task that never ends - by the time the painting is complete, it will be time to start painting again! However, in practice, this is not strictly true as the bridge is not always being painted.

4. Which railway bridge collapsed in a storm in 1879?

Answer: Tay Bridge

The original Tay bridge was opened in 1878, but collapsed a little over a year later during a violent storm, claiming 75 lives. Faults in design, manufacturing processes and materials, especially poor quality steel, were blamed.

5. Which bridge, opened in 1781, crossing the River Severn near Telford, was reputedly the first of its kind to use a certain material?

Answer: The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge

The Iron Bridge is a popular tourist attraction, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. What is peculiar about the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge over the River Thames at Dartford?

Answer: Traffic only drives over it in one direction.

The bridge opened in 1991, and takes just the southbound traffic. Northbound traffic uses both of the Dartford tunnels. In high winds, the bridge is closed and southbound traffic is diverted through one of the tunnels.

7. Which of the following bridges is similar in construction to the Tyne Bridge, which connects Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Gateshead?

Answer: Sydney Harbour Bridge

Both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Tyne Bridge are examples of an arch bridge. The Tyne Bridge opened in 1928, and the Sydney Harbour bridge opening 4 years later. In turn, the Tyne Bridge design was based on New York's Hell Gate Bridge (1916).

8. Which of the following bridges does NOT cross the River Thames in London?

Answer: Erskine Bridge

The Erskine Bridge crosses the River Clyde, just to the west of Glasgow.

9. Which island is connected to the mainland via a bridge?

Answer: Anglesey

Anglesey is connected to North Wales via the Menai Bridge. This bridge was constructed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1826.

Answer: Isambard Kingdom Brunel

The Tamar Bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. The Clifton Suspension Bridge was opened in 1864, five years after the death of Brunel.

Source: Author Dave1968

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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