Listed status for Hull's 'Eighth Wonder of the World'

It's been called the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' and now the Humber Bridge is to become a listed structure, exactly 36 years after it was officially opened by the Queen.

Historic England have also announced eight other newly-listed buildings for Hull including an art deco toilet block, the homes of poet Philip Larkin and the renowned film boss J Arthur Rank.

So what do we know about the Humber Bridge?

It was officially opened by The Queen on 17th July 1981 and opened to traffic on 24th June 1981.

It took nine years to build with construction beginning in July 1972. It was initially supposed to take five years however there were technical difficulties and poor weather conditions.

The initial Humber Bridge Act to build the bridge was passed as far back as 1959.

The bridge cost £98m to build. Initial estimates were that it would cost £28m.

Despite what some people think is not in Hull. The bridge lies west of Hull and connects the towns of Hessle (north bank) with Barton upon Humber.

Often misquoted as the River Humber the bridge actually crosses over the Humber estuary not a river. The Humber Estuary is where the rivers Ouse and Trent form and lead into the North Sea. It is effectively draining one fifth of England.

End to end it is 1.4 miles long . The two towers are 155.5 metres high with the road part of the bridge up to 30m high above the water..

it is no longer the longest single span bridge in the world. When it was first built it held this claim to fame and was cited by some as “the eighth wonder of the world”. It was the longest single span bridge in the world until June 1997 when The Great Belt Bridge was completed in Denmark.