Swing Bridge, River Tyne
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Swing Bridge is a swing bridge over the River Tyne connecting Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, between the Tyne Bridge and the High Level Bridge. The hydraulic power to move the bridge is derived from electrically driven pumps.
It has an 85.7 metre cantilevered span with a central axis of rotation able to move through 90° to allow vessels to pass on either side of it.
The previous bridge on the site was demolished in 1868 to enable larger ships to move upstream to William Armstrong's works. The hydraulic Swing Bridge was designed by Armstrong, and work began in 1873. It was first used for road traffic on 15 June 1876 and opened for river traffic on 17 July 1876.
External link
- Port of Tyne Authority (http://www.portoftyne.co.uk/sitepage.aspx?id=154) Swing Bridge History
- FreeFoto.com (http://www.freefoto.com/browse.jsp?id=1043-26-0) Array of photographs
- Map sources (http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/oscoor_a.htm?425200_563700_region:GB_scale:10000)
Categories: Bridges completed in 1876 | Bridges in Tyne and Wear | Transport in Tyne and Wear | Grade II* listed buildings | Newcastle upon Tyne
