# Newcastle's High Level Bridge Faces Permanent Closure - Tyne for a New Crossing?



## JKKne (Apr 28, 2006)

Newcastle's famous high level bridge...




			
				Wiki said:
			
		

> Designed by Robert Stephenson and completed in 1849, it is the first major example of a wrought iron tied arch or bow-string girder bridge. The High Level Bridge has six spans of 125 feet (38 m), sitting on masonry piers of 130 feet (40 m) height. The single carriageway road occupies the lower deck of the spans, and the railway the upper deck. The lower deck also provides pedestrian walkways.



Is going to be closed until at least 2010 and Newcastle City Council confirmed that when it re-opens it probably won't take any road traffic at all after engineers found it on the brink of collapse (strangely enough it can handle GNER and Virgins finest rolling stock...occasionally)

Its a lovely piece of architecture and the decision to send the buses over it for 30 years was always going to be a disaster!

Brings up the question with only the Tyne and Redheugh (and to a lesser extent the Scotswood) being open at the moment, does the city need a new access bridge?


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## janeb (Apr 28, 2006)

Well the swingbridge is still open as well, but even so it's been a bloody nightmare since the high level bridge was closed trying to cross the river during the rush hour(s).  Have worked out a very convoluted route that gets me from Heaton across the river in the morning via the Redhaugh bridge, but it takes ages (although quicker than using the Tyne bridge) and route may well yet be further buggered up if the Council, as it's suggesting it will, closes more city centre roads to traffic  

Would LOVE to not need to use car to get to work but public transport takes at least twice as long as well as more expensive (and it's too far to cycle).

Fair do's, would rather the bridge be closed and repaired if it needs to be rather than it plummeting into the Tyne when I'm driving across it, but would really be in favour of another bridge if possible.  Besides, bridges are well    and the more the merrier across the Tyne as far as I'm concerned,


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## JKKne (Apr 28, 2006)

Forgot about the Swing Bridge...but it does have those stupid traffic lights

They're planning to make most of the city bus only...there was talk of a Tyne Bridge bus lane....bejesus


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## snadge (Apr 28, 2006)

Is this not a strange, convoluted plan to create a car free city centre, as a car driver myself ( with no problems with a car free city centre), I see a pathetic attempt by the council to impede traffic flow, making it quicker to travel within the city boundaries using  an overpriced metro system.


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## strung out (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm not interested in this, just showing my appreciation of that awful pun


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## free spirit (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm sure I remember seeing something about the problem being that the high level bridge is a listed building meaning that any repairs would have tobe done using the same materials so they'd have to use wooden planks again under the roadway, and this isn't up to coping with modern traffic levels / weights or something like that.

I like the look of high level, but surely if it's a choice of sorting out high level using different materials than originally or having to build a whole new bridge it's no contest is it?

waht they really want to do is get rid of the fucking blockage at the bottom of the bigg market that's turned a 2 lane junction into 1 lane and regularly backs traffic way up westgate road for no reason


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## janeb (Apr 28, 2006)

snadge said:
			
		

> Is this not a strange, convoluted plan to create a car free city centre, as a car driver myself ( with no problems with a car free city centre), I see a pathetic attempt by the council to impede traffic flow, making it quicker to travel within the city boundaries using  an overpriced metro system.



I'm sure that's right, and tbh if I wanted to travel within the city I wouldn't dream of using a car - the bus or metro makes the most sense, quicker and cheaper than parking as well as more eco-friendly by far.  But to get through the city to get somewhere else, ie across the Tyne to get pretty much anywhere South, making the centre car free will be a nightmare.  

And if the Tyne bridge had a bus lane   

Anyway - off to work....


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## skunkboy69 (Apr 28, 2006)

I've never driven in Newcastle for years and years.It must be a nightmare on a windy days when they close the Redeugh Bridge and the High level is closed


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## Isambard (Apr 28, 2006)

Would be a lot less hassle crossing the Tyne if all buses stopped at Gateshead metro station as was the original plan and people changed.
But the frigging privatised bus companies put paid to that one hey......


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## skunkboy69 (Apr 28, 2006)

LOl I once stood in Gateshead Metro from 8.30 pm to 10.15 pm and not one bus turned up.They were coming up on the board but not arriving.


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## JKKne (Apr 28, 2006)

Isambard said:
			
		

> Would be a lot less hassle crossing the Tyne if all buses stopped at Gateshead metro station as was the original plan and people changed.
> But the frigging privatised bus companies put paid to that one hey......



Flat bus fare from Gateshead to Newcastle is 60p

Metro fare is £1.30 (for one bloody stop!)

Quaylink (Those yellow electric things) are 70p

The problem is the Metro is unreliable, dirty and expensive and has problems with anti-social behaviour at times...plus during rush hour its so overcrowded

Go North East are the main operator in Gateshead and Durham. To have buses from the East and West of Gateshead and Durham and outlying area's stop at Gateshead makes no sense (Even though the Whickham buses all go via the Metrocentre now!)

I think after 8pm, theres a bus every 15 minutes through to Newcastle, on a night, most terminate at Gateshead


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## snadge (Apr 28, 2006)

skunkboy69 said:
			
		

> LOl I once stood in Gateshead Metro from 8.30 pm to 10.15 pm and not one bus turned up.They were coming up on the board but not arriving.



that's cos it's a *metro* station, go upstairs and that's where the buses are    .

here's another one, I live one bus stop outside of tyne and wear, it's 1/2 mile from the previous one inside tyne and wear, it is 1.20 for that 1 stop where I can use a travel card.


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## JKKne (Apr 29, 2006)

snadge said:
			
		

> that's cos it's a *metro* station, go upstairs and that's where the buses are    .
> 
> here's another one, I live one bus stop outside of tyne and wear, it's 1/2 mile from the previous one inside tyne and wear, it is 1.20 for that 1 stop where I can use a travel card.



Nexus Zone Boundaries...NOBODY understands them

Did you know that according to Nexus, Gateshead Metrocentre, Metro Retail Park, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear complete with NE postcode...

ISN'T IN GATESHEAD!!   

Thank God for Nexus for pointing that out


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## Riff (Apr 30, 2006)

I vaguely remember when they did away with the King George bridge and built the Redheugh.

As for bus lanes  there are two that immediately spring to mind that are unnecessary and dangerous.  The one on the westbound side of New Bridge Street as you go past the site of Warner Brothers just before the Central Motorway turn-off.  You have to go over the hump-backed bridge in the right-hand lane then at the last second try and nip into the left-hand lane to get onto the southbound side of the CM (whilst trying to avoid HGVs and buses).  I think the bus lane is unnecessary and dangerous.

The other is the bus lane at Swan House roundabout going onto the Tyne Bridge.  The peeps at Metro Radio (whose studio overlooks it) have remarked several times how much congestion it actually _causes _- not alleviates!


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## JKKne (Apr 30, 2006)

Riff said:
			
		

> IThe other is the bus lane at Swan House roundabout going onto the Tyne Bridge.  The peeps at Metro Radio (whose studio overlooks it) have remarked several times how much congestion it actually _causes _- not alleviates!



Everyone ignores that one though, unless theres traffic wardens on it

Warner Bros disappeared pretty quickly, on a different topic, Northumbria moved in on it quite quickly


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## Riff (Apr 30, 2006)

JKKne said:
			
		

> Warner Bros disappeared pretty quickly, on a different topic, Northumbria moved in on it quite quickly



I did say the _site _of Warner Brothers!   

Unless you mean that stupid bus lane on New Bridge has disappeared.


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## JKKne (Apr 30, 2006)

Riff said:
			
		

> I did say the _site _of Warner Brothers!
> 
> Unless you mean that stupid bus lane on New Bridge has disappeared.



I know, twas making general comment!  

City Council are obsessed with having bus lanes that force buses to jump over two lanes to get across to a junction. And nobody argues with a Go Ahead or Stagecoach bus!

Its only going to get worse, they've agreed with Go North East to DOUBLE the bus lanes  

I assume this will be around the Go North East hub which is Pilgrim St (which I'm sure is going no-car the entire distance from 55 up to Northumberland St) and Market St, Newbridge Street (by Laing)

That'd be chaos.

On the plus, the coucil have asked them to pull buses off the Redheugh Bridge


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## janeb (Apr 30, 2006)

JKKne said:
			
		

> I assume this will be around the Go North East hub which is Pilgrim St (which I'm sure is going no-car the entire distance from 55 up to Northumberland St) and Market St, Newbridge Street (by Laing)
> 
> That'd be chaos.



Too right, and that's my really good route through town fucked as well 

Noticed today signs up about roadworks starting tomorrow by the Civic Centre and Northumbria University - look pretty major, No1 stops moved etc....just to add to the general joy that is trying to get through town on the way across the river


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## JKKne (Apr 30, 2006)

janeb said:
			
		

> Too right, and that's my really good route through town fucked as well
> 
> Noticed today signs up about roadworks starting tomorrow by the Civic Centre and Northumbria University - look pretty major, No1 stops moved etc....just to add to the general joy that is trying to get through town on the way across the river



Strange. They've just finished screwing that end of town up.

It won't affect the Go North East traffic out of the city...I can only assume they're planning a bus lane through into Jesmond & Heaton and eventuallu onto the Coast Road


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