Millennium Bridge, London
The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, England, linking Bankside with the City of London. It is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. Construction began in 1998, and it initially opened on 10 June 2000.
Millennium Bridge
Pedestrians
London, England
London Millennium Footbridge
325 metres (1,066 ft)
4 metres (13 ft)
144 metres (472 ft)
10 June 2000
Londoners nicknamed it the "Wobbly Bridge" and even the "Wibbly Wobbly" after pedestrians experienced an alarming swaying motion on its opening day.[1][2] The bridge was closed later that day and, after two days of limited access, it was closed again for almost two years so that modifications and repairs could be made to keep the bridge stable and stop the swaying motion. It reopened in February 2002.
The bridge is located between Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge. Its southern end is near the Globe Theatre, the Bankside Gallery, and Tate Modern, while its northern end is next to the City of London School below St Paul's Cathedral. The bridge's alignment is such that a clear view (i.e. a "terminating vista") of St Paul's south façade is presented from across the river, framed by the bridge supports.
Opening[edit]
The bridge opened on 10 June 2000, one month late.[6]
Unexpected lateral vibration due to resonant structural response caused the bridge to be closed on 12 June for modifications. Attempts had been made to limit the number of people crossing the bridge, which led to long queues but were ineffective to dampen the vibrations. Closure of the bridge only two days after opening attracted public criticism as another high-profile British Millennium project that suffered an embarrassing setback, akin to how many saw the Millennium Dome.
The vibration was attributed to a then-underresearched phenomenon[7] whereby pedestrians crossing a bridge that has a lateral sway have an unconscious tendency to match their footsteps to the sway, exacerbating it. This is different from the well-understood problem of vertical sway, which is why troops stop marching in stride together as a unit when crossing such a bridge.[8] An example is London's Albert Bridge, which has a sign dating from 1873 warning marching ranks of soldiers to break step while crossing.[9]