Category:Byker Metro Bridge

English: The Byker Metro Bridge (also known as the Byker Viaduct) is an 820 metre long curved double-track light railway bridge that carries the Tyne and Wear Metro over the River Ouseburn in Newcastle upon Tyne. It carries the line from Manors Metro station in the city centre to the west to Byker Metro station in the area of Byker to the east, over the lower Ouseburn valley, with the river emptying into the north side of the River Tyne, around 500m to the south.


Designed by Ove Arup and Partners, it opened on 11th November 1982. With spans up to 68.9m long, the main portion over the valley consists of six spans, rising to 30m above the ground; on the east side the bridge continues as a lower elevated section. It was the first such structure in Britain to be built using cantilevered concrete sections with glued joints.


It is one of three high level bridges in close proximity making the same crossing, with the Ouseburn railway Viaduct to the north and the Byker road bridge to the south. The bridge and elevated section form an S-curve, which takes the track over the Byker road bridge at its east end.