·2 min read
The long-awaited new Floating Bridge came into service this afternoon, carrying vehicles and foot passengers across the mouth of the river Medina. Allan Marsh was the first on board to take photos for OnTheWight, see his HD gallery.
The Floating Bridge links Cowes and East Cowes, running regularly through the day and much of the evening. It’s sometimes called the Chain Ferry because it pulls itself both sides of the river on a chain.
In March 2016 the Isle of Wight council commissioned a replacement for the Cowes Floating Bridge (which came into service in 1976), with a new one (£3.2m), with an increased capacity.
The Isle of Wight council officially launched the new Floating Bridge in May 2017, having to withdraw it from service within 48 hours as the front of cars were grounding out when driving off, due to the angles of the new setup being wrong.
Below are articles charting the history of the Cowes Floating Bridge.