Photos, Boothferry Bridge: old and new - memories and nostalgia

Photos, Boothferry Bridge: old and new - memories and nostalgia

My painting, Traffic all Night North, depicts  Boothferry Bridge. The old images below show the hazardous river crossing before the bridge was built. 

The bridge crosses the River Ouse, between the East Riding and West Yorkshire,  north-west of Goole. Prior to the building of the bridge all crossings were by ferry.  The next nearest bridge was at Selby. It was easier to cross the Ouse than the the Humber Estuary.

The bridge was opened in 1929. The Act of Parliament for the building of the bridge in 1925, gave priority to river traffic. This situation still exists, though there have been some attempts to change priorities. Over the years there have been many queues waiting to cross the bridge whilst a ship sails through, as seen below in the photo taken in the 1960s/70s.

On opening, the bridge was the furthest crossing downstream of the river, cutting 25 miles (40 km) off the journey south to London from Kingston upon Hull. 

However, as traffic increased, there was need to relieve congestion and the M62 Ouse Bridge opened up to the east of Boothferry Bridge in 1976 (see below).

Over time therefore, this place has been an important and strategic location. My painting aims to capture a sense of time and the character of the place at dusk.

Maggie Taylor, Traffic all Night North,2022,  oil on canvas

http://asselbyparishcouncil.co.uk/boothferry-history-2.aspx

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13082990

http://eastyorkshirehistory.blogspot.com/2019/07/butterflies-and-history.html