In 1975–77 the carriageway was widened, after which the bridge was given its official name in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

[5] This was an inefficient means of transport and it had become inadequate for the amount of traffic using it before the outbreak of World War II.

The contractors for the first phase of work, Leonard Fairclough of Adlington, cleared the ground and constructed the foundations for the piers.

The main arch was built by cantilevering steelwork from the side spans until it met in the middle in November 1960.

[10] The approaches on the Runcorn side blocked the Bridgewater Canal at Waterloo Bridge and the line of locks leading down to the Mersey were filled in.

The bridge requires constant repainting, with each coat using 6,000 imperial gallons (27,300 L) of paint.

It had the longest vehicular span in the country, but this record was held for only a few weeks until the Tamar Bridge was completed.

By 2001 it was the 10th longest steel arch bridge, and at that time was just 8 inches (20 cm) short of having Europe's largest span.

The carriageway was widened by incorporating the footpaths, giving it four lanes, and a cantilevered foot-way was built on the east side of the bridge.

[18] Repairs to chloride corrosion of the bridge's deck were carried out in the early 21st century using an innovative electrolytic method; they were shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building of 2010.

[19] Traffic on the bridge continued to grow to over 80,000 vehicles a day, and there was frequent congestion.

[24] Notes Citations Sources Media related to Silver Jubilee Bridge at Wikimedia Commons