Bambuco Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Bambuco Bridge

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caption = The Bamboo Bridge with the Sage and Millennium bridge in the background
official_name = The eighth Tyne Bridge
carries =
crosses = River Tyne
locale = Newcastle upon Tyne & Gateshead
maint =
id =
designer = Bambuco
design = Suspension
material = Bamboo
spans =
pierswater =
mainspan =
length = 120m
width =
height = 25m
load =
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below =
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begin =
complete =
open = 18 July 2008
closed = 20 July 2008
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The eighth Newcastle/Gateshead bridge or Bambuco Bridge was a temporary suspension bridge spanning the River Tyne, made entirely from bamboo wood [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/7474731.stm |title= Bamboo bridge work starts on Tyne |publisher="BBC News Online" |date=2008-06-26 |accessdate=2008-07-03] . The bridge which was the eighth to connect Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead was only a sculpture and was not be used for human or vehicular transportcite web |url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/05/24/eighth-tyne-bridge-that-can-t-be-crossed-on-foot-61634-20968374/ |title=Eighth Tyne bridge that can’t be crossed on foot |publisher="The Journal" |date=2008-05-24 |accessdate=2008-07-03] . The bridge opened for its three day run at 10:00am on 18 July 2008, and closed on 20 July; the opening coincided with the start of the ten day SummerTyne festival [cite web |url=http://www.bambuco.com.au/2008/2008.html |title=2008 projects |publisher=Bambuco |accessdate=2008-07-03] . Events were also being held at the Sage Gateshead and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art during the SummerTyne festival [cite web |url=http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/2317/Welcome_to_SummerTyne.html |title=SummerTyne |publisher=Newcastle/Gateshead |accessdate=2008-07-03] . There was a light show at 21:00 on 18 July to officially mark the occasion. After the three day period, the bridge was dismantled in late July.

Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead commissioned the Australian based firm Bambuco to create the bridge sculpture from 20 tonnes (in 800 pieces [cite web |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/article.html?in_article_id=196973&in_page_id=215&in_a_source= |title=Bambuco bridges the gap |publisher="Metro" |date=2008-06-29 |accessdate=2008-07-03] ) of bamboo in 2008, the 80th anniversary of the construction of the Tyne Bridge. The bridge began construction in late June 2008 between the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and spans 120m across the river, at a height of 25m; the construction of the bridge could be seen on the North Tower web cam of the Tyne Bridge. [cite web |url=http://www.tynebridgewebcam.com/north.htm |title=North Tower |publisher=Tyne Bridge web cam |accessdate=2008-07-03] The bridge which had its legs next to the HMS "Calliope" on the Gateshead bank and the law courts on the Newcastle bank was also at a slight angle, unlike the other bridges. Bambuco are based in Sydney, home of the bridge which is similar in design to the Tyne Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The late founder of Bambuco, Simon Barley had the initial idea of a bamboo bridge over the Tyne, but died in 2007 before the project could be undertaken; Bambuco toyed with calling this bridge the "Bridge of Si’s", a play on Venice’s Bridge of Sighs.

Image gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.bambuco.com.au Bambuco]
* [http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/ecs.nsf/alleventsweb/95B9DC9177424B03802573E80049B897 Bamboo bridge] at Newcastle City Council
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2008/07/09/bamboo_bridge_feature.shtml Bamboo Bridge feature] at BBC Tyne
* [http://www.journallive.co.uk/videos-pictures-north-east/2008/07/19/gallery-bamboo-bridge-61634-21370243/ Opening night image gallery] at Journal Live