The Tyne Bridges

Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne

CC BY-SA 2.0 / Matthew Wragg

When you think Newcastle, an iconic image that comes to mind is the Tyne Bridge. There are seven bridges span the River Tyne in and around Newcastle – 2 rail bridges, 3 road bridges, 1 which does both, and a footbridge. You get among the best views of the other 6 from the newest bridge, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

The Tyne Bridge, begun in 1925 and opened by King George V in 1928, with what was at that time the largest arch of any bridge in the world. It looks a little like the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. The oldest is the High Level Bridge, a two-level steel structure almost 165 feet high and built to plans drawn up in 1849 by Robert Stephenson and opened by Queen Victoria.
The Swing Bridge, designed by Sir W. G. Armstrong and opened in 1876, stands on the same site as the “Pons Aelius” fort built by the Romans. Robert Stephenson designed the High Level Bridge – it was the first in the world to have both rail and vehicle traffic. The current Swing Bridge inhabits a very popular riverside spot, it was opened in 1876 and still swings open four times a week.

The The Tyne Bridges appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Newcastle upon Tyne!

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