The job does not give the holder age-old perks such as the right to drive sheep across the great structure, but the title “bridge master” does have a certain ring to it.
asserted
title → give → it
“I don’t tend to say I’m the bridge master when I’m at a party,” said Tristan Ralph, the current holder of the title.
asserted
Ralph → tend → title
“But people do seem to know and bring it up.
asserted
people → seem → it
It’s a job less ordinary, isn’t it?
asserted
it → ’ → ?
It’s a Victorian sounding title and people are really, really interested.”
asserted
people → ’ → ?
Ralph is in charge of maintaining and running the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a UK feat of engineering, without any public money.
asserted
Ralph → maintain → money
“It does feel a big responsibility,” said Ralph.
asserted
Ralph → feel → ?
“When the chairman of the trustees rang to say we’d like you to do it, you suddenly feel the pressure.
asserted
you → ring → it
It’s so famous and people in Bristol, quite rightly, are proud and almost possessive of it.
asserted
people → ’ → it
Bristolians think: ‘It’s our bridge.’”
asserted
It → think → ?
The bridge master – and the not-for-profit charity the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust – have the task of maintaining the bridge “in perpetuity”.
asserted
master → have → perpetuity
“I’m a temporary custodian,” Ralph said.
asserted
Ralph → ’m → ?
“When I’m finished, I have to make sure it is handed on in just [as] good a condition or better than I inherited it.”
asserted
I → finish → it
Ralph, a bridge engineer by profession, was speaking to mark the conclusion of a large refurbishment project that has taken two and a half years and involved hand-painting more than 4,000 original iron chain links and installing an energy-efficient lighting system.
asserted
that → speak → system
It has cost about £7.5m.
asserted
It → cost → m.
“It’s been a big job,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
“But it’s come pretty much bang on budget, which is rare these days.”
asserted
which → come → budget
That is important because, to many visitors’ surprise, the bridge does not receive public funding.
asserted
bridge → receive → funding
“The upkeep of the bridge, the running of it, the salary costs and everything are all paid only by our toll money,” said Ralph.
asserted
Ralph → pay → money
“People think that we might get something from local or central government.
uncertain
we → think → government
But, no, it’s just the toll money.”
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Motorised vehicles – including motorcycles – pay £1 to cross the bridge.
asserted
vehicles → include → bridge
Ralph said: “It draws the tourists in.
asserted
It → say → tourists
We get visitors from hundreds of countries every year but primarily, it’s still a vital piece of local infrastructure.
asserted
it → get → infrastructure
If the bridge wasn’t here, the difference it would make to Bristol traffic would be incredible.
asserted
it → make → traffic
We average over 8,000 vehicles a day still.
asserted
We → average → vehicles
Maintaining it as a transport link is utterly vital.”
asserted
Maintaining → maintain → link
The end of the refurbishment does not mean Ralph can rest on his laurels and spend more time hobnobbing with members of the Bridge Owners Forum.
asserted
Ralph → mean → Forum
“In a few years, we’ll need to paint the underside of the bridge.
asserted
we → need → bridge
The under-bridge gantry unit itself will be replaced over the coming years.
asserted
unit → replace → years
We need to keep on top of things.
asserted
We → need → things
It’s like your house or your car.
asserted
It → ’ → house
If you just ignore it, don’t do things for a couple of years, they start breaking down.”
asserted
they → ignore → years
As in most walks of life, the climate emergency is a challenge Ralph and the trust are having to face.
asserted
Ralph → have → life
“We were monitoring the bridge daily in the summer with the very hot weather.
asserted
We → monitor → weather
And maybe if the bridge was being designed today, there would be a little bit more robustness around wind.”
asserted
bridge → design → wind
The prevailing south-west wind is not usually a problem and the bridge rarely has to close but if it blows directly through the Avon Gorge it can be more difficult.
asserted
it → prevail → Gorge
“We need to keep an eye at both the magnitude of any wind events but also their frequency,” Ralph said.
asserted
Ralph → need → events
The engineer admires the bridge’s designers, including Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
asserted
engineer → admire → Brunel
“It’s remarkably advanced for its time.
asserted
It → ’ → time
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
