Tyne Swing Bridge Newcastle, Hydraulic Power Gateshead River Crossing, Pictures, England, Images, UK

Tyne Swing Bridge, Newcastle

Historic Crossing, Gateshead, north East England – River Tyne Architecture

26 Jun 2009

Swing Bridge Newcastle

Location: centre of the city, between Newcastle and Gateshead

This river crossing is located immediately upstream from the famous ‘Tyne Bridge’

Photos © architect Adrian Welch

Address: Bridge St, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE8 2BH

Tyne Bridge from down river looking west showing Swing Bridge below:

This bridge connects Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, and is located on the river between the Tyne Bridge (to the east, downstream) and the High Level Bridge (upstream).

The hydraulic power still used to move the bridge is derived from electrically driven pumps these days. They feed a hydraulic accumulator sunk into a shaft below the bridge; the water is then released under pressure which runs the machinery to turn the bridge. The mechanism used for this is still the same machinery originally installed by Armstrong.

It has an 281 feet (85.6 m) cantilevered span with a central axis of rotation able to move through 360° 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 and paid for by Armstrong. Work began on its construction in 1873. It was first used for road traffic in 1876.

The Swing Bridge stands on the site of the Old Tyne Bridges of 1270 and 1781.

Source: Wikipedia

Tyne Bridge – photos from the Swing Bridge: