As Sheffield has seven hills, Newcastle upon Tyne Quayside has seven bridges. Their purpose: to join together the people of Gateshead and Newcastle. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge was the fifth to be built on the Quayside, over fifty years after the completion of the Tyne Bridge. Although the Tyne Bridge features on probably 90% of North East postcards, the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge represented a new era for the people of Newcastle and Gateshead. It was an integral part of the plans for the city’s all-new transport system- the Metro! The idea for a tube-like service to operate in Newcastle was first conceived in a document in 1971 entitled ‘The Transport Plan for The 1980s’. The concept of looking to the future is something that is encapsulated by much modernist architecture and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge is no exception. It is both something to behold and admire and also provides a beautiful view of the Quayside below. Of course, you will have to buy a Metro ticket to be treated to this sight! However, no such view would have existed if the decision had been made to take the Metro line from Newcastle Central Station to Gateshead via a tunnel under the Tyne. Thankfully, this idea was not contemplated for long and plans for a bridge were soon firmly put into place. Interestingly, W.A. Fairhurst and Partners, the company that designed the bridge also designed The Tay Road Bridge which links Fife and Dundee.
Opened by its namesake on the 15th November 1981, the bridge has settled in nicely alongside its older counterparts - the High Level, Swing, King Edward VII and Tyne bridges. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge’s near neighbour the High Level Bridge (1847) was also futuristic for its time, having two levels, carrying trains above and road traffic below. Railways are something that are close to the hearts of the people of the North East thanks to regional treasure George Stephenson. Known as the ‘Father of Railways’, Stephenson was the primary inventor of the steam locomotive. Surprisingly, Stephenson is actually buried at Holy Trinity Church in Chesterfield. With The High Level Bridge being built in 1847, it is poignant to think the region continued to have a strong connection to railways with the opening of The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge 134 years later.
Despite the bridge’s 40th anniversary having taken place in 2021, it still manages to remain relevant. From 2006 to 2021 it was part of a light exhibition called Nocturne. Artist Nayan Kulkarni painted the bridge two different tones of blue and covered it with LED lights. This created a spectacular sight and highlighted the bridge's original features. The bridge continues to be a lesser-known but no lesser important icon of the Quayside and will continue to be so. At the end of 2023, a new fleet of Metro trains will be unveiled as the original trains are retired marking another new stage in the history of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.
Words and Photo: Livia Gregor