ice.org.uk Sites and locations to visit to locations and Sites Historic bridges across the Wear the across bridges Historic A1 (m ) ) (m A194 A1231 9 10 11 River Wear River Chester -le-Street A691 Sunderland Bridges of the the of Bridges River Wear Durham A167 A1 (m ) 1 2 3 Key Bridges leaflets Bridges of the 1 Page Bank Bridge ICE North East has produced a number of leaflets River Wear 2 Croxdale Viaduct exemplifying the unique, historical and important 3 Sunderland Bridge This leaflet provides an insight into the numerous bridges across the North East. Publications are held in 4a New Elvet Bridge iconic and noteworthy structures that traverse Tourist Information Centres across the region and are 4b Old Elvet Bridge the River Wear. 5 Kingsgate Bridge available to download at ice.org.uk/northeast The River Wear rises in the East Pennines and flows approximately 100km 6 Prebends Bridge eastwards through Weardale to the North Sea at Wearmouth in Sunderland. 7 Framwellgate Bridge 8 Penny Ferry Bridge Today the moorland of Weardale is an area of outstanding natural beauty, 9 The Northern Spire Robert Stephenson trail dominated by agricultural industry, which has been greatly influenced by 10 Queen Alexandra Bridge This leaflet and the places you can visit will give an quarrying for limestone and mining for lead and coal. The iconic Kingsgate Bridge Civil engineers transform lives by helping to build insight into the background of Robert Stephenson’s in Durham, designed by Sir Ove Arup, reached its 50th anniversary in 2013. 11 Wearmouth Bridge a sustainable world upbringing, education, early career and creation of (1,1) -2- Wear Bridges leaflet Monday.indd 19/11/2013 13:45:20 impressive engineering structures which remain in The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a global membership organisation daily use as part of life in the North East. that promotes and advances civil engineering around the world. Our members help to create the structures and systems that sustain society. They are responsible for designing, building, maintaining and improving bridges, roads, canals, docks, office buildings, hospitals, schools, airports, power stations, railways, flood defences, water-treatment facilities... everywhere. Bridges over the Tees Bridges of the River Wear This leaflet provides an insight into the unusual, For more information, impressive and noteworthy structures across the please contact ICE North East: River Tees. Iconic structures such as the Grade II T: +44 (0)191 261 1850 listed Transporter bridge and award winning Infinity E: [email protected] bridge are highlighted in this publication. w: ice.org.uk This leafl et provides an insight into the numerous iconic 2 Croxdale Viaduct and noteworthy structures that traverse the River Wear. 1 Page Bank Bridge Historic border bridges Engineered by Thomas Harrison, Croxdale Viaduct was built by the North This leaflet and the places you can visit will provide The Page Bank Bridge was officially opened in 1996 by former Prime Minister Eastern Railway in 1872 to transport the new passenger train line into an insight into the historic significance of the Tony Blair. The 61m long roadbridge has a concrete deck supported by a 1 Page Bank Bridge 3Durham. The 23m high structure supported by stone piers has 11 brick magnificent Border Bridges. The list of bridges in steel beam with concrete abutments. It replaces an earlier railway bridge arches each with a span of 18m, giving a total length of 210m. Today, the With thanks to: This leaflet has been prepared by Durham University students from the School of this beautiful county of Northumberland is endless from 1853,which was converted to a road bridge in 1947, to serve the Page Engineering and Computing Sciences with support from the North East Heritage Panel of the Institution of viaduct continues to carry part of the East Coast Main Line. but the nine bridges included are particularly Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, North Eastern branch, Arup and Bank colliery. Durham County Council. Many thanks to everyone involved in the design and production of this leaflet. impressive structures worthy of note. Photograph of Croxdale Viaduct above: David Robinson Introduction The Page Bank Bridge was offi cially opened in 1996 by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The 61m long roadbridge The River Wear rises in the East 9. Queen Alexandra Bridge has a concrete deck supported by a steel beam with concrete Pennines and fl ows approximately abutments. It replaces an earlier railway bridge from 1853, which was converted to a road bridge in 1947, to serve the Page 100km eastwards through Weardale Bank colliery. to the North Sea at Wearmouth in Sunderland. Today the moorland of Weardale is an area of outstanding natural beauty, dominated by agricultural industry, which has been greatly infl uenced by quarrying for limestone and mining for lead and coal. The iconic Kingsgate Bridge in Durham, designed by Sir Ove Arup, 2. Croxdale ViaductViaduct reached its 50th anniversary in 2013. 2 Croxdale Viaduct Engineered by Thomas Harrison, Croxdale Viaduct was built Page Bank Bridge 6 Prebends Bridge 1 by the North Eastern Railway in 1872 to transport the new 2 Croxdale Viaduct 7 Framwellgate Bridge passenger train line into Durham. The 23m high structure 3 Sunderland Bridge 8 Penny Ferry Bridge supported by stone piers has 11 brick arches each with a span 4 Elvet Bridge 9 Queen Alexandra Bridge of 18m, giving a total length of 210m. Today, the viaduct 5 Kingsgate Bridge 10 Wearmouth Bridge 5. Kingsgate Bridge continues to carry part of the East Coast Main Line. (2,1) -2- Wear Bridges leaflet Monday.indd 19/11/2013 13:45:20 3 Sunderland Bridge 4 Elvet Bridge 5 Kingsgate Bridge The present Sunderland Bridge was thought to have been built Old Elvet Bridge is a masonry arch bridge with a total of Kingsgate Bridge was designed by Sir Ove Arup in 1963 to link in the 16th century and replaces earlier bridges at the site, the fourteen arches, although only ten of these are visible. Since the Cathedral and University Colleges on the peninsula to New fi rst possibly dating back to the 14th century. The bridge is its construction in 1160 during the time of Bishop Hugh de Elvet. Arup designed every detail himself and considered the made of dressed sandstone. Puiset, the bridge has undergone signifi cant reconstruction and project to be his fi nest piece of work as well as being his last. age maintenance. Over the last few centuries, the Grade I listed bridge used to This 17m high reinforced concrete bridge spans 106.7m. The carry the Great North Road, which(2,1) became -2- Wear theBridges A1 leaflet and Monday.indd later the 19/11/2013 13:45:20 The great fl ood of 1771 completely destroyed three of the two halves of the bridge were built on scaffolding on the A167. arches and by 1805 Old Elvet Bridge had been repaired and its river bank parallel with the river and then rotated through 90 width had been almost doubled at the upstream side, from 5m degrees to meet in the middle to complete the bridge. It was Despite being widened to 5m in 1822, the bridge was no longer to 9.5m. Since 1952, it has been recognised as a Grade I listed an extremely skilled piece of engineering which eliminated the able to carry traffi c from the A167 and is now used only for structure. need for working over water. At the point where these two local traffi c. The steel beam Croxdale Bridge (below) was built halves meet is a unique bronze expansion joint that allows the slightly downstream in 1924 in order to carryBridges the of A167 the River and Wear can Interesting fact: Only one of the original arches built in bridge to lengthen/contract during warm and cold weather. be seen from Sunderland Bridge. the late 12th century still stands and forms part of Old Elvet (2,1) -2- Wear Bridges(2,1) leaflet -2- Wear Monday.indd Bridges leaflet 19/11/2013 Monday.indd 13:45:20 19/11/2013 13:45:20 Bridge. The other arches date from the early 13th century when In 1965, the bridge was the winner of the Civic Trust Award considerable reconstruction work was carried out. and in 1993 was awarded the Concrete Society’s Certifi cate of Outstanding Performance (Mature Structures Category). The In 1975 a concrete cantilever bridge (below) was constructed bridge is a Grade I Listed structure. 3 Sunderland Bridge upstream of Old Elvet Bridge4 andElvet named Bridge ‘New Elvet Bridge’. It 5 Kingsgate Bridge was constructed to form part of a traffi c relief scheme that was Sir Ove Arup’s involvement in the design of put in place after the pedestrianisation of Old Elvet Bridge. the bridge is commemorated by a bust at The present Sunderland Bridge was thought to have been built Old Elvet Bridge is a masonry arch bridge with a total of Kingsgate Bridge was designed by Sir Ove Arup in 1963 to link in the 16th century and replaces earlier bridges at the site, the fourteen arches, although only ten of these are visible. Sincethe eastern end ofthe the Cathedral bridge. and The University bust of Colleges on the peninsula to New fi rst possibly dating back to the 14th century. The bridge is its construction in 1160 during the time of Bishop Hugh deSir Ove was erectedElvet. on Arup 16 Aprildesigned 2003, every on detail himself and considered the made of dressed sandstone. Puiset, the bridge has undergone signifi cant reconstructionthe and 108th anniversary5 project of to hisbe hisbirth.