Redheugh Bridge

The Redheugh Bridge is a road bridge over the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It carries the A189 and stands where a ferry once linked the two towns. Before the bridge, the Redheugh Ferry carried passengers and goods across the river. Plans for a bridge dated back to 1830 but faced delays and opposition from railway companies. In 1865 a company led by builder Richard Cail and directors Richard Snaderson and Christian Allhusen secured permission to build it. The first bridge was designed by Thomas Bouch, who later designed the ill-fated Tay Bridge. The first bridge opened in 1871 with a truss design supported by three piers. It carried both gas and water mains through its beams, replacing temporary pipes over the Tyne Bridge. The structure stood 30 metres above the river with footpaths on each side. By 1885 faults appeared and repairs proved too costly, so a new bridge was planned. The second bridge, built by Sir William Arrol & Co, opened in 1901 but soon showed design flaws that restricted traffic by the 1960s. The present bridge, completed in 1983, is a concrete structure with a central span of 160 metres. It was designed by Alan Yiu Lun Wan and built by Edmund Nuttall Ltd to last 120 years. Only the south abutment of the first bridge remains, marked by a sculpture by Richard Deacon. The bridge’s piers were shaped to look lighter and were built to resist ship impacts. Strong winds have blown high-sided vehicles, including a double-decker bus, nearly off the deck.