on mouth . ▁The ▁construction ▁work ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 – 1 1 1 ▁years ▁after ▁a ▁bridge ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁first ▁planned . ▁ ▁Operation ▁ ▁On ▁ 8 ▁December ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁lit ▁by ▁mag nes ium ▁fl ares ▁for ▁its ▁cer emon ial ▁opening ▁para de , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁blow n ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁wind . ▁The ▁custom ▁of ▁light ing ▁the ▁bridge ▁has ▁continued ▁with ▁more ▁recent ▁events , ▁although ▁later ▁thousands ▁of ▁electric ▁light ▁bul bs ▁were ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁bridge ▁instead ▁of ▁fl ares . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁the ▁Cl if ton ▁Bridge ▁Company ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁final ▁stages ▁of ▁completion ▁and ▁manage ▁the ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁bridge . ▁They ▁paid ▁£ 5 0 ▁each ▁year ▁to ▁the ▁trust ees ▁who ▁gradually ▁purchased ▁the ▁shares ▁in ▁the ▁company . ▁The ▁reven ues ▁from ▁to ll s ▁were ▁minimal ▁initially ▁as ▁there ▁was ▁not ▁much ▁traffic ; ▁however , ▁this ▁increased ▁after ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁with ▁greater ▁car ▁ownership . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁the ▁trust ees ▁purchased ▁all ▁the ▁out standing ▁shares ▁and ▁deb ent ures . ▁The ▁bridge ▁is ▁managed ▁by ▁a ▁char itable ▁trust , ▁originally ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁Society ▁of ▁Mer chant ▁Vent ur ers ▁following ▁V ick ' s ▁be quest . ▁The ▁trust ▁was ▁author ised ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁bridge ▁and ▁collect ▁to ll s ▁by ▁Act s