Skip to main content

FlexiPole installed on famous Clifton Bridge

A number of Ritherdon passively-safe electroluminescent (EL) FlexiPole signpost systems have now been installed on the historic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, west England. Completed in 1864, the Bridge was originally designed to provide a safe crossing across a gorge for horse-drawn traffic; the chosen method of transport in the 19th century. However it now accommodates 21st century commuter traffic with in excess of 11,000 vehicles crossing the Bridge every day. The custodians of Clifton Suspension
April 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins

A number of Ritherdon passively-safe electroluminescent (EL) FlexiPole signpost systems have now been installed on the historic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, west England.

Completed in 1864, the Bridge was originally designed to provide a safe crossing across a gorge for horse-drawn traffic; the chosen method of transport in the 19th century. However it now accommodates 21st century commuter traffic with in excess of 11,000 vehicles crossing the Bridge every day.

The custodians of Clifton Suspension Bridge, who are backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, expressed a need for an illuminated ‘keep left’ signpost that would be functional, durable and eco-friendly, but also fit in visually with the surroundings of the World Heritage Site.

5614 Ritherdon FlexiPoles were said to be chosen to grace the tolls at the entrance to the famous Bridge for their minimalistic appearance and low visual impact on the heritage of the site. They were also preferred, says Ritherdon, due to their EL material being more visible than any alternative light sources, especially in the adverse weather conditions that the Clifton Suspension Bridge is prone to, due to the height of the crossing over the Avon Gorge.

EL is described by Ritherdon as an optical and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to an electric current passed through it and, as it uses organic phosphor, is said by Ritherdon to be the most efficient light source on the planet.

Ritherdon claim that deploying an EL sign will save €118.95 [£100] a year and reactivate maintenance for a typical 300mm illuminated sign, with an additional saving of €17.84 [£15]-per-annum on energy which equates to 60kg of CO2. The Lancashire county, north-west England-based firm says potential savings are much greater for larger signs.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Tanzania’s work on East Africa’s multi-national road project
    November 28, 2022
    Tanzania is kick-starting construction work on the missing link in East Africa's multinational road
  • New M90 surfacing in the UK gain praise
    January 8, 2013
    Early evaluation of surfacing work on the M90 at Rosyth – the first major application of Scotland’s new TS2010 specification – has earned positive praise. Transport Scotland’s determination to obtain pavement that is durable, long lasting and safe (especially in early life) is clearly apparent on the M90 just north of the Forth Road Bridge. Here surfacing has been carried out this spring to TS2010, a tough new specification designed to ensure thin surfacing pavements that work. And the initial prognosis is
  • HA dismantles footbridge over M5 in England
    January 3, 2013
    Contractors worked solidly throughout the night during one Saturday and early Sunday morning in November (2012) to dismantle the Pegwell Brake footbridge over the M5 near Bristol, south west England. The concrete footbridge, located between junctions 16 and 17, needed to be demolished to make way for a new steel pedestrian bridge suitable for high-sided vehicles to pass under when the managed motorway is fully operational and the hard shoulder is used as a running lane. The dismantling and removal of the
  • SWARCO delivers prism signs to Highways England
    December 14, 2020
    SWARCO Traffic has specified and installed 10 of its prism signs, managed by its cloud-based Zephyr solution, along the UK’s M6 motorway in northern England. The signs help to advise drivers of diversion routes and other traffic information and updates for Highways England along the M6 in county Cumbria.