severn crossing
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Severn crossingSevern crossing is a term used to refer to the two motorway crossings over the River Severn estuary
between England and Wales. The two crossings are:
TheSevern Bridge(Welsh:Pont Hafren)
TheSecond Severn Crossing(Welsh:Ail Groesfan Hafren)
The first motorway suspension bridge was inaugurated on 8 September 1966, and the newercable-stayed
bridge, a few miles to the south, was inaugurated on 5 June 1996. The Second Severn Crossing marks the
upper limit of the Severn Estuary. From 1966 to 1996, the bridge carried the M4 motorway. On completion
of the Second Severn crossing the motorway from Aust on the English side to Chepstow was renamed
the M48
The two Severn crossings are regarded as the main crossing points from England into South Wales. Prior
to 1966 road traffic between the southern counties of Wales and the southern counties of England either
had to travel via Gloucesteror take the Aust Ferry, which ran roughly along the line of the Severn Bridge,from Old Passage nearAust to Beachley. The ferry ramps at Old Passage and Beachley are still visible.
Tolls are collected on both crossings from vehicles travelling in a westward direction only. As of January
2012, the toll for small vehicles is 6.20.
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a motorway suspension bridge spanning the River Severn and River Wye between
Aust, South Gloucestershire (just north ofBristol) in England, and Chepstow, Monmouthshire in South
Wales, via Beachley,Gloucestershire,a peninsula between the two rivers. It is the original Severn road
crossing between England and Wales and took five years to construct at a cost of 8 million.[3]
It replaced
the Aust ferry.
The bridge was opened on 8 September 1966, by Queen Elizabeth II, who hailed it as the dawn of a
new economic era for South Wales. The bridge was granted Grade I listed status on 26 November 1999.[4]
History
Construction of the Severn Bridge
The first proposal for a bridge across the Severn, approximately in the same location as that eventually
constructed, was in 1824 by Thomas Telford, who had been asked to advise on how to improve mail
coach services between London and Wales. No action was taken, and over the next few decades the
railways became the dominant mode of long-distance travel, with the Severn Railway
Bridge at Sharpness being opened in 1879 and the main line Severn Tunnel in 1886. However, the growth
of road traffic in the early 20th century led to further calls for improvements, and in the early
1920s Chepstow Urban District Council convened a meeting of neighbouring local authorities to consider a
Severn crossing to ease congestion and delays on the A48 passing through the town. In
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1935 Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire County Councilsjointly promoted a Parliamentary Bill to obtain
powers to build the bridge over the estuary, with 75% of costs to be met by the Ministry of Transport from
the Road Fund. However, the Bill was rejected by Parliament after opposition from theGreat Western
Railway Company.[5]
AfterWorld War II, plans began to be made for a nationally funded network of trunk roads, including a
Severn Bridge, for which the contract was awarded to Mott, Hay and Anderson, with Freeman Fox and
Partners. The public inquiry into the scheme was held on 24 September 1946 a tBristol
University.[6]
However, because Government funding was prioritised for the similarForth Road
Bridge (opened in 1964), construction of the Severn Bridge was not started until 1961: the UK government
announced in 1962 that construction costs would be 'recovered' by means of a toll of 2s 6d (GBP 0.125) on
all vehicle crossings, though walking or cycling across the bridge would be charge-free .[6]
The substructure
was completed by contractors John Howard and Co in 1963. The superstructure contract was awarded to
Associated Bridge Builders Ltd (a joint venture ofSir William Arrol & Co., Cleveland Bridge & Engineering
Company and Dorman Long) in 1963, and completed in 1966.[7]
Component structures
Aerial view (top left to bottom right) Aust Viaduct, Severn Bridge, Beachley Viaduct and Wye Bridge
The Severn Bridge crossing consists of four structures, which, listed in order from England to Wales, are:
the Aust Viaduct, Severn Bridge, Beachley Viaduct and Wye Bridge. The Severn Bridge and Aust Viaduct
was granted Grade I listed status on 26 November 1999,[4]
while the Wye Bridge and Beachley Viaduct was
granted Grade II listed status on 29 May 1998.[8]
Aust Viaduct
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The 514 ft (157 m) Aust Viaduct is a twin box girder structure with a concrete deck,[4]
which carries
the roadway from the top ofAust Cliffto the first gravity anchorage of the old Severn Bridge. The roadway
is then carried over the top of the concrete anchorage to the Severn Bridge.
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is located close to the formerAust Ferry. The bridge is a suspension bridge of
conventional design, with the deck supported by two main cables slung between two steel towers. In 1966
the cables supporting the bridge deck were spun from 18,000 miles (29,000 km) of wire.[6]
An unusual
feature of the suspension cables carrying the deck is that they are not vertical, as for most suspension
bridges, but rather arranged in a zig-zag fashion, with adjacent mounts closely spaced. The triangulation
this offers is an attempt to reduce vibration, as is the prominent use ofStockbridge dampers on the cables.
The bridge is 5,240 ft (1,600 m) long, consisting of a 3,240 ft (988 m) central span between the towers and
the two 1,000 ft (305 m) side spans. The towers rise to 445 ft (136 m) above mean high water and are of
hollow box construction. The deck is an orthotropic steel box girderofaerofoil shape
with cantilevered cycle tracks and footway supported from the box. The shape of the bridge was
determined by the designers Freeman, Fox and Partners following wind tunnel tests for the Forth Road
Bridge, after the original wind tunnel model was accidentally destroyed. The sections of the deck were built
at Fairfield-Mabey in Chepstow, and each 132 tonne section was then floated down the river before being
hoisted into position.
Beachley Viaduct
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Beachley Viaduct stretching over Beachley Barracks and the Wye Bridge in the background.
The 2,444 ft (745 m) Beachley Viaduct is also of similar box girder construction as the Severn Bridge but is
supported on steel trestles as it crosses the Beachley peninsula.[8]
The peninsula contains an army camp,
which the bridge crosses.
Wye Bridge
The Wye Bridge
The Wye Bridge is a 1,340 ft (408 m) long cable-stayed bridge, which crosses the border marked by
the River Wye between England and Wales, 2 miles (3.2 km) south ofChepstow. It consists of a single
large cable stayed section with two single-leg pylons supporting the bridge deck from the centre of the
roadway. The deck is an orthotropic box girder similar to the Severn Bridge but has a different appearance
as it has two sets of cable stays on each of two towers. Originally there was only one set of cable stays but
these were replaced during the strengthening works. The Wye Bridge was built by Cleveland Bridge &
Engineering Company.[7]
Post-construction changes
In January 1977, it was announced that bridge traffic would be restricted to a single lane in each direction
following the discovery of several weaknesses in the ten year old structure.[9]
The lane closures would last
for several months.[10]
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The Severn Bridge crossing was strengthened and resurfaced in the late 1980s as the weight of traffic
grew. The work included the strengthening of the Severn Bridge towers and deck, an extension to the
existing Wye Bridge towers and the replacement of the original single stays with two stays. The open
structure of the new stays is designed to facilitate maintenance. Most of the strengthening work was inside
the deck box and towers and so is not visible. The surfacing is a 35 mm (1.4 in) thick layer of mastic
asphalt over an acrylic waterproofing membrane.
Tolls
The westbound carriageway toll collection area on the M48 motorway
Shortly after the opening of the Severn Bridge, Anglo-Welsh poet Harri Webb wrote an Ode on the Severn
Bridge:[11]
Two lands at last connected
Across the waters wide,
And all the tolls collected
On the English side.
The toll is indeed collected on the English side, and only on vehicles travelling westwards from England to
Wales, leading some people to describe it as a "tax on entering Wales", both in jest and also as a more
serious anti-toll campaign.[12]
Originally, tolls were charged in both directions, but the arrangements were
changed in the early 1990s to eliminate the need for a set of toll booths for each direction of travel and the
potential for traffic waiting to pay the toll backing up onto the bridge itself.
In 1966, the toll for using the new motorway crossing was set at 2s 6d (post-decimalisation equivalent
0.125) for all vehicles apart from solo motorcycles which enjoyed a reduced toll of 1s (0.05) .[13]
For a
small car the bridge toll represented a saving of 7s (0.35) on the price, at that time 9s 6d (0.475), of
using the ferry crossing.[13]
By 1989, the toll had reached 2 each way for goods vehicle having an unladen
weight exceeding 1.525 tonnes and passenger vehicles adapted to carry more than 16 passengers and 1
each way for other vehicles.[14]
Currency depreciation has been a feature of UK monetary policy in the
intervening decades, and the RPI is a widely applied surrogate for the resulting impact of general price
inflation:[15]if the Severn toll had increased in line with general inflation since September 1966,
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when Queen Elizabeth II opened the bridge, the original value of 0.125 would have reached 2.02 each
way in January 2010.
As of January 2013, the toll is 6.20 for a car, increasing to 18.60 for a heavy goods
vehicle.
[16]
Motorcycles and disabled badge holders are exempt from the tolls, although both must stop atthe toll booths to have their eligibility confirmed, and also to allow the barrier to be raised. The tolls for the
Second Severn Crossing are the same, although in that case, the tolls are collected on the Welsh side
(although still for traffic entering Wales, not leaving it), sufficiently far from the bridge that even severe
queueing doesn't reach it. A system known as the Severn TAG made by Amtech is also in operation, which
allows drivers to pay electronically without having to stop at the toll booths. TAGs are available either on a
per-trip or a seasonal basis, although only the latter attracts a discount.
Credit/debit cards were not originally accepted on either bridge, but drivers who did not have the means to
pay were able to get a bill from the toll operator and pay by post later. Card payment was made available in
time for the 2010 Ryder Cup,[17]
however, users would be required to enter theirPIN and cash was still the
recommended payment method to avoid delays.[18]
The cycle path and footpath, which run along either side of the roadway, may be used free of charge. Only
the original bridge has such a public access.
Historic overview of the toll charges
Map showing the Severn Bridge in relation to the Second Severn Crossing
and the estuary itself
Ownership
Ownership and operation of the bridge passed to Severn River Crossing plc on 26 April 1992 as part of the
deal to build the Second Severn Crossing.[23]
As of November 2010, Severn River Crossing Plc was owned
35% John Laing, British developer infrastructure operator
35% Vinci, French concessions and construction company
15% Bank of America, American multinational banking and financial services
corporation
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15% Barclays Capital, British multinational investment bank[24]
The company's 2011 annual report showed the same companies still owned, through subsidiary
companies, all the issued ordinary share capital of the Plc.[25]
Ownership of the bridge and the Second Severn Crossing will return to the UK government when the
revenue required to build and maintain them, as defined in a Concession Agreement with the Secretary of
State for Transport, has been collected.[25]
In 2010, the concession was expected to end in 2017.[26]
In
2012, changes were made to the agreement to reflect the effect of changes in VAT and Corporation
Tax and the costs of installing credit card handling systems. The net effect was to increase the required
revenue from 995.83 million to 1,028.91 million in 1989 prices.[27][24]
40 year inspections
During its 40th year of operation, the bridge was inspected to check for corrosion of the suspension cables.
According to the Highways Agency,[28]
the inspection concluded that the bridge needed restrictions on
heavy goods vehicles.[29]
Such vehicles are now restricted to one lane on the bridge, with weight restriction
signs in place. A system of installing a rubber casing on the cables with dry air circulation is to be used on
the Forth Road Bridge and a similar system may be implemented on the Severn Bridge, in a move to halt
the progress of the corrosion.[30]
Simultaneous closures in 2009[edit source | editbeta]
On 6 February 2009, during a week of snowfall throughout Britain, both Severn bridges were closed
simultaneously due to ice falling from the bridge structure and damaging vehicles.[31]
On 22 December
2009 both bridges were closed again for the same reason.[32]
This was only the third time that both bridges have been closed together, the first being due to a chemical
fire in Avonmouth some years earlier.
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Second Severn CrossingThe Second Severn Crossing(Welsh:Ail Groesfan Hafren) is the M4 motorway bridge over the River
Severnbetween England and Wales, inaugurated on 5 June 1996 by HRH The Prince of Wales to augment
the traffic capacity of the original Severn Bridge built in 1966. The bridge marks the lower limit of the River
Severn and the start of the Severn Estuary.
Its location is farther to the south than the old bridge and, being more in line with the landward sides of the
M4 motorway, is a shorter journey when travelling between England and South Wales. The junctions at
each end are designed for most traffic to use this crossing to use the old Severn Bridge crossing one has
to leave the M4 and join the M48 motorway either at Aust or nearMagor. The new crossing carries more
traffic than the Severn Bridge, which is still in use. It is wider than the Severn Bridge, having three lanes
and hard shoulder each way, compared to the two lanes, cycle path and footpath of the original crossing.
The path taken by the bridge is close to that of the Severn Tunnel which has carried the railway line
beneath the river bed since 1886.
Much of the estuary is mudflats at low tide, but at high tide can be covered by up to 14 metres of water.This presented the engineers with a unique set of constraints with packets of work being scheduled at low
tide and being completed with the short windows allowed by the tides.
The concession given to the consortium who financed, built and operate the bridge required them to take
over the outstanding debt on the original Severn Bridge and to operate the two bridges as a single entity.
Tolls are set by the government and on the expiry of the concession the consortium are required to hand
the bridge over into public ownership.
Background
The Severn Estuary presented a barrier between the Bristol area and South Wales. The estuary has a
maximum tidal range of 14.5 metres, the second highest in the world and during a rising or falling tide,
strong currents of up to 8 knots (4 m/s). Much of the estuary is mud flats that are exposed at low tide that
have been designated a Special Protection Area. The central part of the estuary is a navigable channel
which, at the site of the bridge, is known as "The Shoots". The bridge is upstream from Avonmouthand
the Port of Bristol, but downstream from the Port of Sharpness. The Gloucester Harbour Trustees have
responsibility for controlling navigation in the estuary's tidal waters upstream from the bridge.[1]
Until 1966, road travellers had the option of either using the Aust Ferry which had operated since medieval
times (and as a car ferry since 1926) or by making the 57 miles (92 km) detour via Gloucester.[2]
In 1966
the first Severn road bridge, a four-lane suspension bridge was opened carrying the M4 motorway fromEngland into South Wales. By 1984 traffic across the first Severn Bridge had tripled and it was projected
that by the mid-1990s the old bridge would be running at capacity. A study was commissioned into the
building of a second crossing - either a tunnel or a bridge. The consultants reported back in 1986
recommending that a new bridge be built downstream from the existing bridge.[3][4]
In 1988 it was announced that tenders would be invited from private consortia to fund, build and operate
the bridge for as specified period. The consortium would also take over the management and the
100 million debt of the old bridge.[5]
Tenders were invited in 1989 and in 1990 the concession to build the
bridge was awarded to Severn River Crossing plc.[6]
Construction work started on 26 April 1992 and the
bridge was opened by the Prince of Wales on 5 June 1996.[3]
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Design
The Shoots Bridge; the shipping channel lies between the two towers
The bridge which has portals close to Sudbrook, Monmouthshire on the Welsh side and Severn
Beach in South Gloucestershire on the English side has three principal sections - a 25 span viaduct on the
English side of length 2,103 m (6,900 ft; 1.307 mi), a 24 span viaduct of length 2,077 m (6,814 ft; 1.291 mi)
on the Welsh side and the bridge itself, a 948 m (3,110 ft; 0.589 mi) structure with a 37 m (121 ft)
navigational clearance, giving a total of 5,128 m (16,824 ft; 3.186 mi).[7][8]
The central section, called the
Shoots Bridge, is ofcable-stayed design and the central span (between the bridge pylons) is 456 metres
(1,496 ft) in length. The approach viaducts are of a segmental bridge design. The crossing forms a very
slight "S" curve the roadway having an approximate east-west alignment at each of the portals, while the
central bridge follows an alignment which is approximately WNW toESE.
The Severn Railway Tunnel passes under the estuary bed on a line which is generally about 500 m
upstream of the bridge, but which passes under the line of the bridge close to the English shore.[9][10]
The deck, which carries three lanes of traffic in each direction is 34.6 metres (114 ft) wide. The sides of the
bridge are fitted with 3 metres (9.8 ft) baffle plates to reduce lateral wind loads coming from the SevernEstuary onto the traffic and this has reduced the number of times that speed restrictions have been
needed. The overall design of the new crossing makes it more resistant to high winds than the old Severn
Bridge.[7]
Construction
The crossing was built by a business consortium under a public-private partnership. A company called
Severn River Crossing plc, led by John Laing plc and GTM-Entrepose, was formed to build the new
crossing.[11]
This company also took over the responsibility of managing and maintaining the old Severn
Bridge crossing, as well as managing and maintaining the new crossing. The cost of constructing the new
crossing was expected to be paid for by tolls collected from motorists using the two crossings. Work on the
new crossing began in 1992. Completion was in 1996.
Sub-assemblies for the bridge were constructed onshore and then shifted by a large tracked vehicle
(similar to that used to move the Apollo and Space Shuttle at Cape Kennedy) onto a barge (the SAR3),
prior to being floated out on the high tide to the appropriate site. The 37 bridge pier foundations on the
approach viaducts are 98.11 metres (321.9 ft) apart, and consist of open concrete caissons weighing up to
2,000 tonnes, which were founded on the rock of the estuary bed. The decking consists of 3.6 metres
(11.8 ft) post stressed match cast sections, weighing 200 tonnes each.[7]
The cable stayed section of the crossing is over 1,044.7 metres (3,427.5 ft) long, consisting of a 34.6metres (113.5 ft) wide deck made from steel plate girders with a composite reinforced concrete slab. These
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were prefabricated on shore and put in place using balanced cantilever methods. There are two high twin
leg, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete pylons carrying 240 cables which support the bridge deck rising
to a height of 149 metres (489 ft) above the river bed or 101 metres (331 ft) above the bridge deck. Cable
vibrations were experienced during construction and secondary cables were added to eliminate this. To
avoid detracting from the aesthetics of the primary cables, the secondary cables are very slender and are
not very noticeable.[7]
During the summer of 1994 the bridge deck launching gantry fell onto the Gwent viaduct, causing the
200 tonne bridge deck unit to fall onto the deck below. Although this delayed the project by ten weeks, the
builders were nevertheless able to complete the bridge on schedule two years later.[12]
Environmental impact[edit source | editbeta]
Prior to the bridge's construction, environmentalists raised numerous concerns and criticisms, chiefly about
the immediate damage from construction work and the effects of long-term pollution from a projected
increase in car traffic.[citation needed]
The crossing passes overmudflats in the Severn Estuary with part of the eastern approach viaduct sited on
the English Stones, a rocky outcrop uncovered at low tide. The estuary wetlands are home to migrating
birds such as the Ringed Plover, Redshank andWhimbrel, while the Eurasian Curlew, Dunlin and Grey
Ploverwinter in the area. The birds feed on ragworm, lugworm and other invertebrates. Saltmarsh is found
along the fringes of the coast. Beds ofeelgrass occur on the more sheltered mud and sand-banks.[13]
In
1976, in recognition of the importance of the estuary as a wetland used by migrating birds, an area of 247
square kilometres was designated a Ramsar site.[14]
In 1988 the Severn Estuary was designated a Special
Protection Area. The same year an area of 99 square kilometres was notified as a SSSI designated as
such the following year;[13]
in 1995, it was extended to cover the whole of the Ramsar site.[15]
The construction process resulted in a temporary increase in turbidity of the Severns waters. Although
eelgrass is reasonably tolerant to short-term high turbidity and consequent loss of light, the bed of eelgrass
in the Severn was observed to greatly decline during the period of construction.[16]
The construction of the
approach roads and toll plaza resulted in the permanent loss of some wet pasture land.[17]
Field surveys carried out in 2003 and 2004 reported that the bridge had little effect on the flight paths of the
various birds it was noted that when Curlew, Dunlin and Lapwing approached the bridge, they would
change course to gain height and fly over the bridge, but that Oystercatchers and Turnstone would fly
under the bridge. The surveys also showed that the bridge had minimal impact on the roosting habits of
most birds, though a flock ofMallard were seen to be roosting directly under the bridge with many
positioning themselves on the dry concrete base on one of the pillars. Likewise, it was noted that the bridgehad little impact on the birds' feeding habits Turnstone and Lapwing were recorded as feeding on
mudflats directly under the bridge while the absence of other waders was attributed to the rocky nature of
the foreshore.[13]
Finances
The consortium consisting of two civil engineering firms and two banks that funded and built the bridge
have a 30-year concession to redeem their outlay from tolls collected from users of the bridge. At the end
of the concession period, the bridge will pass into public ownership .[12]
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n_Crossing&veaction=edit§ion=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Severn_Crossing&action=edit§ion=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Severn_Crossing#cite_note-CN-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Severn_Crossing#cite_note-stats-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-stressed_concrete 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Tolls
Toll collection area on the westbound carriageway
Tolls are collected from west-bound traffic nearRogiet, some 2.1 miles (3.4 km) from the Welsh portal of
the bridge.[6]
Tolls can be paid by cash, major credit or debit cards, or by use of the Severn TAG system,
which is a wireless electronic toll collection system that does not require vehicles to stop.
[18]
Cash can bepaid at the manned booths or coins can be used at the automated coin gates.
Tolls charges are based on a three tier pricing system:[19]
Motorcycles and UK disabled badge holders travelling in a vehicle are exempted from paying a toll,
although these vehicles must stop at the toll booth to confirm their eligibility.
The toll prices are updated every year on 1 January in accordance with the Severn Bridges Act of
1992.[20][21][22]
In late 2008, UK VAT was reduced from 17.5% to 15%, but the bridge toll remained
unchanged. For reasons of convenience the tolls are kept at round multiples of 10p (the bridge toll is
largely paid in cash), but the 13p VAT reduction was not passed on immediately. In 2009, the planned toll
for cars would have been 5.50, as the announcements listed,
[20][22]
but the actual toll charged was 5.40.
Historical toll charges
Looking west towards the Bristol Channel - the Second Severn Crossing is at the top and the original Severn Bridge is at the
bottom.
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Funding and ownership
The bridge was built at a cost of 380 million and is owned by the company Severn River Crossing Plc. As
of November 2010, Severn River Crossing Plc was owned
35% John Laing, British developer infrastructure operator 35% Vinci, French concessions and construction company
15% Bank of America, American multinational banking and financial services corporation
15% Barclays Capital, British multinational investment bank[25]
The company's 2011 annual report showed the same companies still owned, through subsidiary
companies, all the issued ordinary share capital of the Plc.[26]
Ownership of the crossing and the original Severn Bridge will return to the UK government when the
project's required revenue, as defined in the Concession Agreement with the Secretary of State for
Transport, has been collected.[26]
In 2010, the concession was expected to end in 2017.[27]
In 2012,
changes were made to the agreement to reflect the effect of changes in VAT and Corporation Tax and the
costs of installing credit card handling systems. The net effect was to increase the required revenue from
995.83 million to 1,028.91 million in 1989 prices.[25][28]
Closures
On 6 February 2009, the bridge was closed by weather for the first time since its opening after three
vehicles were struck by falling ice, damaging windscreens.[29]
Bad weather, and again falling ice, repeated
this in December 2009.[30]
Temporary speed limits are put in place due to heavy wind or fog, with drivers
informed of this by the electronic signs. Owing to the more advanced aerodynamic design of the later
bridge, the Second Crossing is far less prone to such restrictions owing to crosswinds than the first SevernBridge.
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