High Level Bridge, River Tyne

High Level Bridge
Newcastle Tyne Bridges
High Level Bridge in 2014
Coordinates54°58′01″N 1°36′31″W / 54.9669°N 1.6086°W / 54.9669; -1.6086
OS grid referenceNZ251636
Carries
CrossesRiver Tyne
LocaleTyneside
OwnerNetwork Rail
Maintained by
Heritage statusGrade I listed[1]
Characteristics
DesignGirder bridge
Total length407.8 m (1,338 ft)
Width12.2 m (40 ft)
Longest span38.1 m (125 ft)
No. of spans6
Piers in water3
Clearance below25.92 m (85.0 ft)
No. of lanes1 (southbound only)
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrified25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
History
DesignerRobert Stephenson
Engineering design byT E Harrison
Constructed byJohn Rush and Benjamin Lawton of York
Fabrication by
Construction start12 August 1847
Construction end7 June 1849
Opened15 August 1849 (1849-08-15)
Inaugurated
Location
Map
Railways between Newcastle and Gateshead
Central Station
Tyne Valley Line
to Scotswood
Newcastle Tyne and Wear Metro
Gateshead
Gateshead Interchange
Tyne and Wear Metro
to Gateshead Stadium
The High Level Bridge in 2010

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[2] from 5,050 tons of iron. George Hawks, Mayor of Gateshead, drove in the last key of the structure on 7 June 1849,[3] and the bridge was officially opened by Queen Victoria later that year.

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,[citation needed] 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.[1]

  1. ^ a b Historic England. "High Level Bridge (Grade I) (1248568)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  2. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Hawks family
  3. ^ The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend. 1887. p. 30.