The Millennium is a bridge in London that crosses the world famous River Thames. The opening of the attraction was timed to the beginning of the new millennium. From here came its name - Millennium (Millennium). In the people it is called that - the Millennium Bridge, or the Staggering Bridge. In English, the official design name is London Millennium Footbridge. This hanging pedestrian pontoon is unique in its Y-shape and in that it connects the main London attractions: the Globe - Shakespeare's Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tate Modern - art gallery.
Location and description of the bridge
The Millennium ( London Bridge ) is a steel suspension bridge designed for pedestrians. It connects City and Bankside. The Millennium is located between the Blackfriars Railway Pontoon and the Southworth Viaduct. They began to build the landmark in 1998, and its opening took place in the summer of 2000.
The Millennium Bridge in London is a truly beautiful structure that attracts the attention of tourists. The unique structure is as follows: two supports, reminiscent of the letter Y, support the flooring of the bridge. Between them are tightened steel cables. If you look at the pontoon, it seems that moving on it is unsafe for life. But the architect who worked on the construction, Norman Foster, and the sculptor Anthony Caro took every detail into account and assure that their brainchild is absolutely safe.
The bridge on each side is supported by four metal cables with transverse beams attached to them. The structure was designed specifically for people, and it is quite capable of supporting their weight. The bridge is 370 meters long and four meters wide. On the day the structure was opened, about two thousand people were simultaneously on it.
History of Attraction
In 2000, the Millennium Bridge in London celebrated its discovery. On one of June days, Elizabeth II, along with thousands of discoverers, majestically walked along it. But after a couple of days, the structure was closed to pedestrians, as it was swinging strongly during movement. This could lead to irreparable tragic consequences.
Attempts were made to let the minimum number of people pass simultaneously. But such a decision was unsuccessful, since at the entrance the Millennium Bridge in London gathered huge lines. Engineers conducted a thorough study of it and concluded that he was starting to stagger "in unison" with walking pedestrians. 89 shock absorbers that were added to the bridge construction helped to fix the problem.
In 2002, Millennium experienced a second discovery, this time successful. But then it was closed several more times: in 2007 during the raging storm Hurricane Kirill. The following year, pedestrians were again forbidden for some time to move across the bridge, since the film Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince was shot on it.
How to get to the bridge
Tourists like the Millennium (a bridge in London), not only because it has an extraordinary design, but also because it is easy to get to. The attraction is located near the central part of the English capital, and therefore the road to it does not take an hour. For two pounds a day in London, you can rent a bicycle and get to the bridge in minutes, bypassing traffic jams and congestion.
Not far from the construction there is the Mansion House subway station. The fare will cost one to five pounds. The city's pier, called Bankside Pier, also offers transportation services for people to the bridge. Among the company's other services is a boat trip along the river to the Millennium Bridge itself.
Pontoon owners and his project
The London Millennium Bridge is owned and supported by the Bridge House Estates charity. Careful control over the design is carried out by one of the corporations located in downtown London, City.
A competition was announced to create the project, which was organized by the London Council of Southwark in 1996. As a result of the event, the victory was won by a project called “Blade of Light”. Its authors were Sir Anthony Caro and Norman Foster and associates.
The design had to have height restrictions and was obliged to improve the landscape of the territory on which its construction was supposed. Therefore, customers have chosen a suspension structure project, the stretched ropes of which were to be located under the central bridge and thus provide an incredibly thin silhouette.
Millennium Bridge in numbers
The English Millennium Bridge (the description can be read above) is equipped with two pillars dividing it into three parts. The length of the first is 91 meters, the second is 144 meters and the third is 108 meters.
Eight thick ropes supporting the bridge are stretched with a force of two thousand tons. This capacity is enough to withstand a load of approximately five thousand people.
A budget of £ 2.2 million was allocated for the construction of the attraction. But it was spent more than 18 million pounds.