Teesquay Millennium Footbridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Teesquay Millennium Footbridge |
|
|---|---|
Teesquay Millennium Footbridge
|
|
| Coordinates | 54°33′44.5″N 1°18′35.2″W / 54.562361°N 1.309778°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Teesdale Way, River Tees, Riverside Road |
| Locale | Stockton-on-Tees, England |
| Official name | Teesquay Millennium Footbridge |
| Preceded by | Victoria Bridge |
| Followed by | Princess of Wales Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Material | Steel and concrete |
| Width | 2.7 metres (9 ft) |
| Number of spans | 4 |
| Piers in water | 1 |
| History | |
| Architect | Yee Associates |
| Designer | Ove Arup |
| Constructed by | Birse Construction |
| Construction end | December 2000 |
| Inaugurated | 20 December 2000 |
The Teesquay Millennium Footbridge is a special bridge just for people to walk across. It stretches over the River Tees in Stockton-on-Tees, a town in the Northeast of England.
This bridge connects Teesdale Business Park and the University of Durham's Queen's Campus in Thornaby-on-Tees to the Castlegate shopping center in Stockton-on-Tees. It crosses over the Teesdale Way cycle path, the River Tees, and the A1035 Riverside Road. The money to build it came from the Stockton-on-Tees Council and other groups like the European Regional Development Fund.
Sometimes, people just call it the Millennium Bridge.
Contents
How the Bridge Was Designed
The local council in Stockton wanted a new bridge for people to walk on across the River Tees. They held a competition for companies to design and build it.
A team made up of Ove Arup and Birse Construction won the competition. Their design was the only one that fit the council's budget, which means it didn't cost too much money.
Bridge Features
The bridge is a cable-stayed design. This means it uses strong cables connected to a tall tower to hold up the bridge deck. The architecture was done by Yee Associates, and it was designed by Ove Arup.
The bridge has a tall, 'A'-shaped tower, which is about 40 meters (131 feet) high. Cables spread out from this tower like a fan. The whole bridge stretches about 153 meters (502 feet) across the river. The part you walk on is about 2.7 meters (9 feet) wide, but it gets a bit narrower (2 meters or 6.5 feet) as it extends towards the Castlegate Centre.
Building the Bridge
The parts of the bridge were made in Spain. Then, a company called Birse Construction North East put them all together on site. The bridge was finished in December 2000 and cost about £1.4 million.
Opening and Use
The Teesquay Millennium Footbridge officially opened on December 20, 2000. Dari Taylor, who was the local Member of Parliament for Stockton South, and the mayor of Stockton-on-Tees were there for the opening.
This bridge was one of the few "millennium" bridges that were actually finished in the year 2000. Unlike some other famous millennium bridges, it wasn't paid for by the Millennium Commission.
Some people have mentioned that the bridge can feel a bit wobbly sometimes. Also, it's considered a bit narrow for cyclists, who are asked to get off their bikes and walk across. Cyclists are not allowed to ride their bikes into the Castlegate Centre anyway.
Castlegate Quay Area
Near the western side of the bridge, on Castlegate Quay, you'll find the Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre. This is a place where people can enjoy activities on the water.
Photo gallery
-
A rower under the Teesquay Millennium Bridge
-
View along the deck towards Teesdale Business Park
-
View from the steel steps on the Castlegate Quay side
-
Information board on the bridge pylon
