Redheugh Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Redheugh Bridge is a road bridge spanning the River Tyne
west of Newcastle upon Tyne
centre on the North Bank and Gateshead
centre on the South Bank, in North East England
. It currently carries the A189 road
.
. The North Eastern Railway
showed little interest so Cail, with others decided to press ahead with a road bridge.
The first Redheugh Bridge was opened on 1 May 1871 engineered by Thomas Bouch
who was also the designer of the ill-fated first Tay Bridge
in Scotland
(see Tay Bridge disaster
).
It was a slender construction with a footpath either side and supported by three river piers 30 metres above river level. However construction was hindered by delays in the delivery of materials, due to poor access roads and the scarcity of skilled labour. By as early as 1885 serious structural faults began to emerge. The general opinion was that repairs would cost more than a new bridge, and so was replaced.
around the old structure. Once again process was hindered by delays in materials and an inadequate work force. By 1900 the main girders and spans were in place and, ingeniously, hydraulic jacks were used to inch along the newly built superstructure until it rested on the previously constructed piers. The remains of the old structure were removed and the bridge was opened in August 1901. However, by the 1960s serious design flaws once again became apparent. Speed restrictions of 10 m.p.h. and weight restrictions of between 8 and 10 tonnes hindered the traffic flow and engineers stated that if it remained in use for much longer, the approaches and superstructure would need to be rebuilt. It was seen as more economical to build a new crossing.
Work to replace the second crossing began in 1980. Of the original crossing, only the south abutment
now remains (adorned by a modern sculpture designed by Richard Deacon).
The third bridge is much different from its two predecessors. It is a pre-stressed concrete structure with a central span of 160 metres and two side spans of 100 metres (including the approaches, it is a total of 897 metres long and 15.8 metres wide). It can carry abnormal loads of up to 4,000 tonnes, and has a life expectancy of 120 years. It was constructed by Edmund Nuttall
Ltd to a design by Mott, Hay and Anderson
.
The two supporting concrete piers were fluted to create an impression of lightness and were designed to withstand the impact from a vessel of ten thousand tonnes travelling at a speed of five knots, although this is highly unlikely as large ships rarely came this far up the Tyne and the shipping lane has now effectively been blocked by the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
. Due to the exposed location, strong winds can cause problems for high-sided vehicles. Early in the bridge's life, a double decker bus was nearly blown over the side but luckily came to rest leaning against the parapet railings.
The bridge was opened on 18 May 1983 by the Princess of Wales
. The total cost amounted to £15,350,000.
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
west of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
centre on the North Bank and Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
centre on the South Bank, in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. It currently carries the A189 road
A189 road
The A189 is a road in North East England, linking Gateshead to southeast Northumberland. The section within southeast Northumberland is also known as the Spine Road; and West-Central Route is used to describe its route around Newcastle City Centre...
.
The first crossing
In 1860 builder Richard Cail proposed a rail/road bridge at Redheugh, with the rail deck below the road level – the reverse of the High Level BridgeHigh Level Bridge
The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England.-Design:...
. The North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
showed little interest so Cail, with others decided to press ahead with a road bridge.
The first Redheugh Bridge was opened on 1 May 1871 engineered by Thomas Bouch
Thomas Bouch
Sir Thomas Bouch was a British railway engineer in Victorian Britain.He was born in Thursby, near Carlisle, Cumberland, England and lived in Edinburgh. He helped develop the caisson and the roll-on/roll-off train ferry. He worked initially for the North British Railway and helped design parts of...
who was also the designer of the ill-fated first Tay Bridge
Tay Rail Bridge
The Tay Bridge is a railway bridge approximately two and a quarter miles long that spans the Firth of Tay in Scotland, between the city of Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife ....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(see Tay Bridge disaster
Tay Bridge disaster
The Tay Bridge disaster occurred on 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Tay between Dundee and Wormit in Scotland, collapsed during a violent storm while a train was passing over it. The bridge was designed by the noted railway engineer Sir Thomas Bouch,...
).
It was a slender construction with a footpath either side and supported by three river piers 30 metres above river level. However construction was hindered by delays in the delivery of materials, due to poor access roads and the scarcity of skilled labour. By as early as 1885 serious structural faults began to emerge. The general opinion was that repairs would cost more than a new bridge, and so was replaced.
The second crossing
Replacement commenced in 1897 with the new bridge being built by Sir William Arrol & Co.Sir William Arrol & Co.
Sir William Arrol & Co. was a leading Scottish civil engineering business founded by William Arrol and based in Glasgow. It built some of the most famous bridges in the United Kingdom including the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.-Early history:...
around the old structure. Once again process was hindered by delays in materials and an inadequate work force. By 1900 the main girders and spans were in place and, ingeniously, hydraulic jacks were used to inch along the newly built superstructure until it rested on the previously constructed piers. The remains of the old structure were removed and the bridge was opened in August 1901. However, by the 1960s serious design flaws once again became apparent. Speed restrictions of 10 m.p.h. and weight restrictions of between 8 and 10 tonnes hindered the traffic flow and engineers stated that if it remained in use for much longer, the approaches and superstructure would need to be rebuilt. It was seen as more economical to build a new crossing.
The present crossing
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
now remains (adorned by a modern sculpture designed by Richard Deacon).
The third bridge is much different from its two predecessors. It is a pre-stressed concrete structure with a central span of 160 metres and two side spans of 100 metres (including the approaches, it is a total of 897 metres long and 15.8 metres wide). It can carry abnormal loads of up to 4,000 tonnes, and has a life expectancy of 120 years. It was constructed by Edmund Nuttall
Edmund Nuttall
BAM Nuttall Limited is a construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Camberley, United Kingdom. It has been involved in a portfolio of road, rail, nuclear, and other major projects worldwide...
Ltd to a design by Mott, Hay and Anderson
Mott, Hay and Anderson
Mott, Hay and Anderson was a successful 20th century firm of consulting civil engineers based in the United Kingdom. The company traded until 1989, when it merged with Sir M. MacDonald & Partners to form Mott MacDonald.-Early years:...
.
The two supporting concrete piers were fluted to create an impression of lightness and were designed to withstand the impact from a vessel of ten thousand tonnes travelling at a speed of five knots, although this is highly unlikely as large ships rarely came this far up the Tyne and the shipping lane has now effectively been blocked by the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead's Quays arts quarter on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architects...
. Due to the exposed location, strong winds can cause problems for high-sided vehicles. Early in the bridge's life, a double decker bus was nearly blown over the side but luckily came to rest leaning against the parapet railings.
The bridge was opened on 18 May 1983 by the Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
. The total cost amounted to £15,350,000.
External links
- Gateshead Council article on the Richard Deacon sculpture
- 2/22/1902;Reconstruction of the Redheugh Bridge, Newcastle.on.Tyne.
See also
- Orwell BridgeOrwell BridgeThe Orwell Bridge was opened to road traffic in 1982 and carries the A14 over the River Orwell just south of Ipswich in Suffolk, England....