The process of tethering the new floating bridge to the Isle of Wight is underway.
The new floating bridge has arrived in the waters between East Cowes and Cowes, in the waterway where it will live its working life.
Attaching the chains
This morning engineers have begun to attach the chains, starting on the East Cowes side. Tugs are in place to aim the moving of the Floaty.
Allan Marsh, who has many years experience watching the coming and goings of the floating bridge, says that this is unusual as it’s normally done from the other side.
Allan has been taking some great photos of the process.
What’s different?
As photos of the various stages of the construction of the new Floating bridge have been seen, the impression has been that it was massive, but Allan says, now it’s in place, it doesn’t look that much larger than the previous one.
It certainly appears wider, with four lanes for vehicles instead of three, enabling more vehicles to travel. The length, says Allan, looks about the same as the old one. At low tide it stretches a quarter of the way across the river, if that.
Foot passengers only go on one side of the craft now – Looking out to the Solent, so on the right hand side as you look from East Cowes. They’ll have the option of a higher deck as well as the glass-lined lower deck.
Click on images to see larger versions
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
