Crossings of the River Tyne - Current Bridges, those proposed & planned, those that never happened, etc

[Manors]

Anyone have any further info about the bridge that was planned to go from St Anthony's to Felling? I've been able to find out a few bits and pieces, and can see the alignment from Google Maps. Not much information seems to exist about it.

[Newcastle Historian]

Re

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian; November 30th 2009

OTHER PROPOSED TYNE BRIDGES

Many failed suggestions for bridges have been made, especially between Newcastle and Gateshead. A position east of the present bridges seems to have been the popular location, and St Anthony's to Bill Quay where the Tyne was less wide and land values cheaper was the place of choice.

Railway bridges to link the growing railway network across the Tyne were promoted but were not proceeded with, a town centre crossing being a more practical option. The High Level Bridge of 1849 solved the problem for several decades but near the end of the 19th century a further proposal from the North Eastern Railway (NER) for a rail bridge at St Anthony's was made and another link was proposed in 1918, linking lines at Heaton and Washington, with an additional road crossing with tram tracks also canvassed by local councils.

This railway bridge would have eased congestion in central Newcastle and on the rail bridges there by building an avoiding line from the east coast main line near the Coast Road running via Walker to a bridge at St Anthony's and continuing to Pelaw joining the Leamside line (going south to Ferryhill and beyond) there. Land was purchased in 1923 and space for the route reserved, but the new London and North Eastern Railway which had by then superceded the NER decided not to proceed with the plans.

At the time the Central Motorway East in Newcastle was planned in the 1960s there was a proposal to build a bridge crossing just east of the Tyne Bridge where the Sage music centre Gateshead now stands, and which would have linked to the Gateshead flyover, but this idea was abandoned.

Other road bridges at St Anthony's were proposed in 1925 and 1992, but were never proceeded with. While proposals for new rail bridges are extremely unlikely it is possible that further proposals for new road bridges will eventually surface, although not necesarily at Newcastle. The recently authorised Haydon Bridge by pass is to include a new viaduct crossing the river South Tyne.

A 2004 proposal to build a footbridge and cycleway linking Newburn and Blaydon instigated by the regional development agency One NorthEast has now been dropped. A long single span structure, This would have connected the large Newburn Riverside development (offices, general industry and warehousing) with the Blaydon shopping centre,bus and railway stations.

A more recent proposal of October 2006 by Newcastle City council, is to build a footbridge and cycleway linking the soon-to-be-renovated Newcastle suburb of Benwell to the Gateshead Metro Centre shopping complex. There could also be a link for buses.

Other Proposed Bridges

Railway bridges at St Anthony's, Newcastle - 1836, 1848, 1893, 1918.

Road bridge just east of the Tyne Bridge - 1960s.

Road bridges at St Anthony's, Newcastle - 1920, 1925, 1992.

Footbridge - Newburn to Blaydon. 2004.

In the early part of this thread (see above) we did discuss previous plans for crossings eminating from the St Anthony's area.

However, were you meaning some plans that were more recent?

[newcastlepubs]

I've posted this in three threads. 'Media' - because it is, 'small works' because of discussion re bridge illumination, and 'Crossings of the River Tyne'.

An episode of Vera was being filmed on the Tyne bridge last night. The crews used a huge cherrypicker to illuminate the bridge which might give an indication of the 'look' if the suggested LED illumination goes ahead.

Looks better than no lights for sure..

image hosted on flickr


Sorry about the blurry pics.

image hosted on flickr


.

[NewcastleStu]

What's Vera? Anyway, I did notice that yesterday as the you could see the lights from quite a distance.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by NewcastleStu

What's Vera?
.

This . . .

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian; 22nd June 2010 on the "Newcastle in the MEDIA" thread

ITV to film new detective series Vera in North East
June 22nd 2010, by David Whetstone, The Journal

NB - We had discussed the filming of 'the pilot' of VERA already, on this thread, HERE . . .
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...7&postcount=53
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...&postcount=202

A MAJOR new television detective series is to be filmed in the North East this summer following the chance purchase of a book in an Oxfam shop.

ITV, whose decision to axe Wire In The Blood caused dismay in the region’s TV sector last year, has commissioned three feature-length episodes of a detective drama called Vera.

Starring award-winning actress Brenda Blethyn in the title role of Detective Vera Stanhope, they will be shot at various North East locations from a base at the former Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, which is now owned by North Tyneside Council.

The three two-hour dramas will be shown early next year along with a pilot episode, made here last year, which impressed bosses at ITV.

The commission was hailed yesterday as more “wonderful news” for the North East broadcasting sector, but it is also thrilling for Whitley Bay author Ann Cleeves who wrote the novels on which the series will be based.

She said: “I did a short film for Border TV that I wrote but that was more like a competition. This is the first option on one of my novels that has been taken up so it’s all very exciting.”

She said ITV decided to pursue the project after one of its executives, Elaine Collins, bought one of the Vera Stanhope novels, The Crow Trap, in an Oxfam shop in London.

Ann, whose first novel was published in 1986 and who first introduced Vera Stanhope in The Crow Trap, published in 1999, said Vera’s progress to the small screen was “a really lovely story”.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...1634-26697084/[/B]

[Manors]

Originally Posted by newcastlepubs

I've posted this in two threads. Media - because it is, and 'small works' because of discussion re bridge illumination. An episode of Vera was being filmed on the Tyne bridge last night. The crews used a huge cherrypicker to illuminate the bridge which might give an indication of the 'look' if the suggested LED illumination goes ahead.

It is always quite sad to see when driving over the Redheugh or on the Metro across the river that the Millenium Bridge and Swing Bridge to an extent are lit up, yet the Tyne Bridge is hardly noticeable.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Manors

It is always quite sad to see when driving over the Redheugh or on the Metro across the river that the Millenium Bridge and Swing Bridge to an extent are lit up, yet the Tyne Bridge is hardly noticeable.

So, when (and why) did the Tyne Bridge stop being illuminated?

It was only a relatively short time ago that all the old lighting was replaced with brand new "computer controlled LED lighting" and all that sort of thing, and they got Kevin Keegan along to switch them all on for the first time!

Here . . .

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

.
The Evening Chronicle - Wednesday July 14th 1993.

A quite unusual newspaper front page this one, as it is actually a 'front and back' page, opened out.

Someone reported on this forum recently, that they thought the Tyne Bridge was no longer being illuminated. That would be a real pity, but only as recently as 1993, a big thing was being made out of Kevin Keegan turning on the new-style 'computer-controlled' illuminations, just in time for the second visit to Newcastle of the 'Tall Ships Race' . . .






.

The above was (I understood) meant to be . . well . . . permanent!!

.

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

So, when (and why) did the Tyne Bridge stop being illuminated?

It was only a relatively short time ago that all the old lighting was replaced with brand new "computer controlled LED lighting" and all that sort of thing, and they got Kevin Keegan along to switch them all on for the first time!

Here . . .

The above was (I understood) meant to be . . well . . . permanent!!

Just got up to have a look out of the window [literally].

I suspect that there's not been a conscious decision, rather that as the bulbs blow [literally or metaphorically] they don't get replaced. Looking at it now there's the odd live bulb but only a fraction seem to work.

I suspect that it will be a job from from hell to replace them [or rather that you'd have to shut the carriageway to do it], thus there's been no desire to change 'em.

The proposed solution of lighting from beneath would make it much easier to change them as and when needed.

[anonymous1]

Do they use these lights? I don't think I remember seeing them lit, or maybe I'm just used to them now

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...88.48,,0,-22.5

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...40.55,,0,-22.5

They don't seem to be on in this photo, but it could've been a bit too early
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robcole...hy/5684157811/

Nor in this one, at least on the Newcastle side, and it's only a few days old.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djhewitt/6360340555/



They are in this one, but it's a few years old
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99252999@N00/1936789573/



(so many links....sorry)

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by anonymous1

Do they use these lights? I don't think I remember seeing them lit, or maybe I'm just used to them now


They are in this one, but it's a few years old
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99252999@N00/1936789573/

(so many links....sorry)

It s not looking like that tonight .

They do sometimes use the spots but they re more for the towers. The roadside lamps are also on as I type, but where the 'arc' [is that the right expression] is illuminated in the pic, right now there are very few of the bulbs working.

[Newcastle Historian]

Interesting VOTE here, comparing the two Millennium Bridges at London and NewcastleGateshead . . .

http://xl.skyscrapercity.com/?page=o...erday=20111016

[johnnypd]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

Interesting VOTE here, comparing the two Millennium Bridges at London and NewcastleGateshead . . .

http://xl.skyscrapercity.com/?page=o...erday=20111016

i see our bridge is rightfully trouncing the wobbly london monstrosity

[NewcastleStu]

Just had the local Gateshead council newsletter through the post and it suggests the bollards beneath the Millennium Bridge will start to be removed in January and should be gone by mid-February.

[thenorthumbrian]

Originally Posted by NewcastleStu

Just had the local Gateshead council newsletter through the post and it suggests the bollards beneath the Millennium Bridge will start to be removed in January and should be gone by mid-February.

Good, I think our blinking eye bridge is an elegant structure and the bollards spoil the appearance.

[Newcastle Historian]

.
The Millennium Bridge . . .

Here it is in a photo where the bollards are not too noticeable, but it will be even better when they are gone!

[hollaa01]

I've always been really disappointed in the lighting of the Tyne Bridge. It's dim and barely noticable, not a great celebration of one of our most recognisable assets.

Somebody mentioned LEDs... is there any sort of plan to upgrade/replace the lighting on the Tyne Bridge? So it's lit and given the treatment it deserves?

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by hollaa01

I've always been really disappointed in the lighting of the Tyne Bridge. It's dim and barely noticable, not a great celebration of one of our most recognisable assets.

Somebody mentioned LEDs... is there any sort of plan to upgrade/replace the lighting on the Tyne Bridge? So it's lit and given the treatment it deserves?

Back to the standard of fairly recent times, perhaps?




A few posts back (in 'Post 128') NewcastlePubs wrote . . .

Originally Posted by newcastlepubs

Just got up to have a look out of the window [literally]. I suspect that there's not been a conscious decision, rather that as the bulbs blow [literally or metaphorically] they don't get replaced. Looking at it now there's the odd live bulb but only a fraction seem to work.

I suspect that it will be a job from from hell to replace them [or rather that you'd have to shut the carriageway to do it], thus there's been no desire to change 'em. The proposed solution of lighting from beneath would make it much easier to change them as and when needed.
.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by NewcastleStu

Just had the local Gateshead council newsletter through the post and it suggests the bollards beneath the Millennium Bridge will start to be removed in January and should be gone by mid-February.

Timetable for Bollards under the Millennium
Bridge to be removed
by Sarah Scott, The Journal, December 10th 2011



A TIMETABLE has finally been set to remove unsightly bollards from underneath the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Work to remove the Vessel Collision Protection System beneath the bridge is expected to start early in the new year.

The floating booms attached to 16 grey metal bollards have attracted criticism over the years and were not part of the original design for the bridge by its architect Jim Eyre. The protective booms were originally installed in 2000, during the construction of the bridge, to protect it from damage caused by a vessel accidentally colliding with its superstructure.

Coun John McElroy, cabinet member for transport at Gateshead council said: “This will be a popular move, many visitors have commented over the years that the bollards detract from the elegance of the bridge, but we’ve been committed to retaining them in the interests of river safety.

“Now we have established their removal will not present a major risk to river traffic, we have taken the decision to remove them, and we think many people will be pleased with that decision.”

Removing the system will involve dismantling 14 horizontal fenders together with their flotation units and the extraction of 16 piles from their positions deep within the river bed. The voids will be filled with sand.


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-e...#ixzz1g7llxVVY

[Adrian_Swall]

The bollards look an eyesore but there is considerable cost to remove them.

They will be removed just as there is the initiative to attract more vessels up the Tyne to the new Quayside Moorings.

Let's hope there is not a '1-in-a-million' accident.

Breaking News......a large yacht has lost all power and collided into the Millenium Bridge....the bridge has collapsed into the murky Tyne....hundreds of nuns on a trip to the Baltic have fell into the river...it's carnage...or not!

[battlefieldjohn]

Originally Posted by Adrian_Swall

The bollards look an eyesore but there is considerable cost to remove them.

:

They should spread a rumour that they are made of copper, they woud disappear overnight!