The bridge in troubled waters

A bridge over the River Tyne has been stuck in an identity crisis. The Swing Bridge has linked Newcastle and Gateshead since 1876, but last swung way back in 2019. The MP for Newcastle Central succinctly diagnosed the crossing’s predicament: “it's called the Swing Bridge, the clue is in its name, it has to be able to swing".

In its closed position, the bridge carries road traffic across the Tyne. By rotating 90 degrees about its central axis, the bridge opens and allows ships on the river to pass by on either side; the structure is capable of swinging by a full 360 degrees.  Across its history, the swing mechanism has allowed nearly half a million vessels to access the upper reaches of the Tyne, which once bustled with industrial activity. But mechanical issues have rendered the bridge swingless for several years now. 

However, help is at hand in the form of a new campaign, which hopes to raise millions to bring the bridge back to its swinging best. As reported in the Newcastle Chronicle, Chi Onwurah MP has described the bridge as “an icon of our history [which] needs to be a part of our future”.

The bridge was designed by William Armstrong, one of the great Victorian engineers. His hydraulic innovations are key to the mechanism of both the Tyne’s Swing Bridge and the Thames’ Tower Bridge.

The Swing Bridge is one of seven crossings across the central stretch of the Tyne, making the river an impressive showcase for engineering innovation. The fully-functioning Gateshead Millennium Bridge, for example, is known as the world’s first tilting bridge.  

Home loyalty requires me to point out that these structures bridge the inferior of the two eponymous rivers in the county of Tyne & Wear. But, as a symbol of the North East spirit of invention, I’m also hoping to see Armstrong’s bridge get back into the swing of things ahead of its 150^th birthday.