REFLECTIONS

Newcastle is a city with an abundance of bridges. There are seven in total that stretch across the River Tyne, one of which being the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It’s the one the colour of a summer sky, if you’re wondering. 

Like many of us from South Shields or Sunderland, perhaps you have childhood memories of superstitiously lifting your feet up as you crossed it on the Metro, before trundling into Central Station. 

Purpose-built for the Tyne and Wear Metro system, the bridge was opened officially by Queen Elizabeth II in November, 1981. There are dizzying archival photographs of the bridge’s construction. Building from the outside-in from the two opposing banks of the Tyne, the courageous workers sat aloft admiring the view from its two sections some 25 metres above the river. The bridge was built as a vital connection between Newcastle and Gateshead, as an alternative to tunnelling beneath the Tyne which would have been more expensive.   

The 4000-tonne steel structure is even fitted with a special joint that allows for it to expand or contract in extreme weather conditions.

The view from the tracks is especially impressive by night, when the Tyne appears threaded with the golds, pinks, and purples of the other bridges, reflected in its oil-black surface.