High Level Bridge, River Tyne
The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. It was built by the Hawks family from 5,050 tons of iron. George Hawks, Mayor of Gateshead, drove in the last key of the structure on 7 June 1849, and the bridge was officially opened by Queen Victoria later that year.
High Level Bridge | |
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High Level Bridge in 2014 | |
| Coordinates | 54.9669°N 1.6086°W |
| OS grid reference | NZ251636 |
| Carries |
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| Crosses | River Tyne |
| Locale | Tyneside |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Maintained by |
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| Heritage status | Grade I listed |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Girder bridge |
| Total length | 407.8 m (1,338 ft) |
| Width | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Longest span | 38.1 m (125 ft) |
| No. of spans | 6 |
| Piers in water | 3 |
| Clearance below | 25.92 m (85.0 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 1 (southbound only) |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | 25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE |
| History | |
| Designer | Robert Stephenson |
| Engineering design by | T E Harrison |
| Constructed by | John Rush and Benjamin Lawton of York |
| Fabrication by |
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| Construction start | 12 August 1847 |
| Construction end | 7 June 1849 |
| Opened | 15 August 1849 |
| Inaugurated |
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| Location | |
Railways between Newcastle and Gateshead | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It was designed by Robert Stephenson to form a rail link towards Scotland for the developing English railway network; a carriageway for road vehicles and pedestrians was incorporated to generate additional revenue. The main structural elements are tied cast-iron arches.
Notwithstanding the considerable increase in the weight of railway vehicles since it was designed, it continues to carry rail traffic, although the King Edward bridge nearby was opened in 1906 to ease congestion. The roadway is also still in use, although with a weight restriction. It is a Grade I listed structure.