Opening of Severn Bridge remembered 60 years on

For many people living near the Severn Estuary, jumping in the car and crossing the border between England and Wales is just part of their everyday commute.

But 60 years ago, after three-and-a-half years of construction at a cost of some £8m, this ordinary-seeming journey over the Severn Bridge was something to celebrate.

Enthusiastic motorists spent days queueing to use it, and on the day itself – 8 September 1966 – hundreds gathered to watch the Queen Elizabeth II officially open the bridge to the public.

Chris Witts, a River Severn historian witnessed several fatalities on the water prior to the bridge’s opening, and said many people now “take it for granted” six decades on.