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Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, River Tyne

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This article is about the metro rail bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne. For other bridges named after Queen Elizabeth, see Queen Elizabeth Bridge (disambiguation).

Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge
The Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge in 2013
Coordinates54°57′52″N 1°36′50″W / 54.9645°N 1.6139°W / 54.9645; -1.6139
OS grid referenceNZ247634
CarriesTyne and Wear Metro
CrossesRiver Tyne
LocaleTyneside
Official nameQueen Elizabeth II Bridge
OwnerNexus
Maintained byNexus Rail
Characteristics
DesignSteel truss construction with fabricated box chords[1]
Total length352.7 m (1,157 ft)[1]
Width10.31 m (33.8 ft)
Longest span164.7 m (540 ft)
Clearance below25 m (82 ft)
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrified1500 V DC
History
DesignerW. A. Fairhurst & Partners
Constructed by
Construction start1976 [1]
Construction endAugust 1978 [2]
Opened15 November 1981 (1981-11-15)[1]
Inaugurated
Location
Map
Railways between Newcastle and Gateshead
Legend
Tyne and Wear Metro
to Monument
East Coast Main Line
to Morpeth
 Central Station
Tyne Valley Line
to Scotswood
Newcastle Tyne and Wear Metro
King Edward VII Bridge
High Level Bridge
River Tyne
QEII Metro Bridge
Gateshead
Tyne Valley Line
to MetroCentre
Gateshead Interchange
East Coast Main Line
to Durham
Durham Coast Line
to Heworth
Tyne and Wear Metro
to Gateshead Stadium

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carries the Tyne and Wear Metro between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead over the River Tyne in North East England. The line is in tunnels on either side of the river and only emerges into open air to cross the bridge.

History

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The bridge under construction in 1978

The bridge was developed as part of the Tyne and Wear Metro system, for which it was purpose-built. It was designed by W. A. Fairhurst & Partners, and constructed by Cementation Construction Ltd. and the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company at a cost of £4.9 million.[1] The two sections of the bridge were built simultaneously from each bank and eventually met in the centre in August 1978.[3] It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 November 1981, nine days before regular Metro service began.[1] It is similar to Ballachulish Bridge on the A82 which opened in 1975, which was also built by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company.

It was one of two major bridges built specifically for the Tyne and Wear Metro, the other being the Byker Viaduct crossing the Ouseburn valley.[4]

Nocturne artwork

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In 2006, Nexus, operators of the Metro, commissioned artist Nayan Kulkarni to install a huge artwork on the bridge. The artwork, Nocturne, sees the bridge painted two distinct tones of blue, while at night, 140 Lumiflood 36 LED lighting units[5] create an ever-changing pattern of colours based on photographs submitted by members of the public.[5]

Nocturne was completed and opened on 26 April 2007[6] and means that all five main bridges across the Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle have unique lighting schemes. However, as of 2021 the lighting system is not operational, with Nexus citing operational costs.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Structure Details: Queen Elizabeth II Bridge". Structural Images of the North East (SINE). Newcastle University. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  2. ^ "Construction photograph of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne 1977". Newcastle City Council. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  3. ^ "Building Bridges". Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Meet Your Metro" 1978 information booklet produced by Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.
  5. ^ a b "Nocturne Lighting Launched" (Press release). Lumivision Architectural Lighting. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
  6. ^ "Nocturne – Britain's biggest new artwork is born" (Press release). Nexus. 26 April 2007. Archived from the original on 26 December 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2007.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge.


Next bridge upstream River Tyne Next bridge downstream
King Edward VII Bridge
East Coast Main Line		 Queen Elizabeth II Bridge
Grid reference NZ248634		 High Level Bridge
 B1307  and Durham Coast Line
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