3417 x 5126 px | 28,9 x 43,4 cm | 11,4 x 17,1 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
3 dicembre 2008
Altre informazioni:
The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. Designed by Robert Stephenson and built between 1847 and 1849, it is the first major example of a wrought iron tied arch or bow-string girder bridge. It is a fine and long standing engineering solution to a difficult problem; the spanning of 1337 feet of river valley, including 512 feet across water. The High Level Bridge has six river spans of 125 feet (38 m) length, sitting on masonry piers, 46 by 16 feet in section and up to 131 feet (40 m) height. There are also four land spans on each side, of 36 feet 3 inches. The single carriageway road and pedestrian walkways occupy the lower deck. To ensure its long-term future the bridge was closed to road traffic in February 2005. Essential maintenance included replacement of wooden supports beneath the road deck. Although originally expected to reopen in late-2005 the bridge remained closed until 2 June 2008 as severe cracks were found in some of its iron girders. In March 2006 the bridge's footpath, which was to have been kept open during the restoration project, was closed at the request of Network Rail due to vandalism and the increasing scale of required works. Extra crash barriers on each side of the roadway were added leaving space for only one lane of traffic. The bridge now operates only in a southbound (towards Gateshead) direction and carries only bus, taxi and north- and southbound pedestrian traffic.
