Millennium Bridge

The Millennium Bridge is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London. It links Bankside with the City of London and is owned by Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust under the City of London Corporation. Construction began in 1998 and it opened on 10 June 2000, but closed the same day due to unexpected swaying. After nearly two years of repairs and modifications, it reopened in February 2002 and has remained stable since. The bridge’s innovative design came from a 1996 competition won by Arup Group, Foster + Partners and Anthony Caro. Its shallow profile, with cables below the deck, was chosen to improve views and meet height restrictions. The bridge has three main sections totalling 325 metres in length and an eight-metre-wide aluminium deck. Eight suspension cables pull with a force of 2,000 tons against the piers, enough to support a working load of 5,000 people. Visitors find a clear view of St Paul’s Cathedral framed by the bridge supports at the southern end. Nearby are the Globe Theatre, the Bankside Gallery and Tate Modern. The northern end sits beside the City of London School below the cathedral, with Peter’s Hill leading up to the bridge. A short inclined lift, the Millennium Inclinator, helps those who cannot manage the steep steps. The bridge’s alignment creates a striking terminating vista of the cathedral’s south façade across the river.