1-151-886 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Britannia Tubular Bridge over Menai Straits, Wales, c 1850s. The Britannia Tubular Bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson (1803-1859). Construction began in 1846 and the bridge was opened on 18 March 1850. It was constructed to provide trains of the Chester and Holyhead Railway with a passageway across the Menai Straits from mainland Wales to Anglesey. The railway terminated at Holyhead, which became a major port for travellers to Ireland. The Menai Suspension Bridge, a road bridge completed in 1826, can be seen in the distance.