Spire opens next week
Sunderland’s majestic new bridge will open to pedestrians and traffic next week.
Northern Spire will welcome members of the public on foot on Tuesday, before officially opening to traffic on Wednesday.
The bridge will welcome pedestrians on Tuesday from noon until 8pm – but vehicles will not be allowed to cross the bridge or use the link roads until after the official opening the following day.
Sunderland’s majestic new bridge will open to pedestrians and traffic next week.
Northern Spire will welcome members of the public on foot on Tuesday before officially opening to traffic on Wednesday.
The bridge will welcome pedestrians on Tuesday from noon until 8pm – but vehicles will not be allowed to cross the bridge or use the link roads until after the official opening the following day.
Three Sunderland-built Nissan vehicles, including the Qasqai and Leaf, will be the first to travel across the bridge after the unveiling on Wednesday.
Coun Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “I am delighted that Northern Spire is opening to traffic next week.
“It looks stunning and is a great addition to the Sunderland skyline.”
“It’s a proud moment for Sunderland. This bridge is a wonderful structure that firmly puts us on the map.
“I hope lots of people come out and take the opportunity to walk across it on Tuesday. They won’t be disappointed.”
More than 2,000 people have been involved on the bridge project, with work starting in May 2015. In that time, they have clocked up more than a million working hours.
Originally scheduled to open in the spring, the bridge’s unveiling was de- layed as a result of poor weather earlier in the year.
Northern Spire will become the highest structure in the North East, standing at twice the height of Nelson’s Column and taller than Big Ben’s clock tower.
In February, the bridge was visited by the Duke and Duchess on Cambridge on their trip to the city. The couple met with construction workers and schoolchildren before putting their own finishing touch to the structure. They each helped to tighten a bolt .