New Sunderland Bridge

[GC_A690]

Noticed yesterday that the A1231 Wessington Way between the A19 and the bridge roadworks has been reduced to 50mph (previously NSL). The council have stated that this is to increase capacity and improve traffic flows ahead of the bridge opening, which sounds fair enough - and to be honest, the regular roundabouts on that section made it difficult to get to much above 50 anyway.

[Mark Hewitt]

Noticed yesterday that the A1231 Wessington Way between the A19 and the bridge roadworks has been reduced to 50mph (previously NSL). The council have stated that this is to increase capacity and improve traffic flows ahead of the bridge opening, which sounds fair enough - and to be honest, the regular roundabouts on that section made it difficult to get to much above 50 anyway.

Yes that section is very different to the stretch West of the A19 which is HQDC whereas as soon as you're across the A19 it's very much local road, and now of course you'll have the traffic lights for the bridge to contend with.

[M19]

The A1237 is, well was, a bit like one of the main D2 grid roads in Milton Keynes. You normally drive below the speed limit if you want progress to be smooth. But then they are great when it's quiet for a legal "Italian tune-up".

[Mark Hewitt]

Any ideas on opening dates as yet?

[Pendlemac]

Any ideas on opening dates as yet?

Undated press release implied it would be 4 to 5 weeks from then.

Managed to find the associated article in the local paper which gives a date for the press release as 16/04/2018.

So opening should be within the next fortnight if all goes to plan.

Wonder if it will be a 'soft' opening to avoid big queues of those wanting to be first across?

[Mark Hewitt]

Any ideas on opening dates as yet?

Undated press release implied it would be 4 to 5 weeks from then.

Managed to find the associated article in the local paper which gives a date for the press release as 16/04/2018.

So opening should be within the next fortnight if all goes to plan.

Wonder if it will be a 'soft' opening to avoid big queues of those wanting to be first across?

Yes. It was actually my wife saying she’d like to drive across on opening weekend. But as you say it’s quite likely going to be opened without fanfare as seems to be the case these days.

[Mark Hewitt]

The new bridge is proving quite the landmark. On Saturday we've noticed you can see it from as far as Pelton Fell (and I imagine all of the hills above Gateshead & Chester-le-Street), and my wife watching Ed Sheeran and St. James Park said she could see it from her seat there too!

[wrinkly]

BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-44892689

Questions are being asked about why a bridge costing £117m still has not opened to traffic.

The new crossing over the River Wear in Sunderland - called Northern Spire - was due to be finished in the spring.

Liberal Democrat opposition councillor Stephen O'Brien said it was "becoming a bit of a white elephant".

Sunderland City Council said bad weather had caused delays and painting had yet to be completed. The bridge is now due to open by the end of August.

Mr O'Brien said the "rumour mill" was starting to turn.

"People want to use the bridge but have been told hang on, hang fire, for the better part of four extra months and they're getting a bit sick of it," he said.

The council said there were no structural problems and the 330ft (100m) bridge would open once painting and inspections were finished.

Labour council leader Graeme Miller said it had lost between six and eight weeks' work "because of the Beast from the East at the start of the year".

"Until the work is done to the standard that is required to ensure that the bridge is coated properly we have to allow the contractors to continue doing their work," he said.

"While we all want to see Northern Spire in use as soon as possible, it's important that we don't compromise the finish by rushing to open."

Northern Spire, linking Castletown and Pallion, is the first bridge to be built in the city for more than 40 years.

Its pylon is twice as high as the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead and taller than Big Ben's clock tower.

[Mark Hewitt]

People are impatient. Sunderland has survived without the bridge so far, they can survive a few more months while it's finished off.

[Glenn A]

People are impatient. Sunderland has survived without the bridge so far, they can survive a few more months while it's finished off.

We'd hope it doesn't take as long as the A1(M) from Leeming to Barton, but it will be a big achievement for Sunderland, as the city's two other road bridges had become too congested.

[Bryn666]

People are impatient. Sunderland has survived without the bridge so far, they can survive a few more months while it's finished off.

MUST BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE ON IT NOW.

[A691(M)]

Due to open by the end of August 2018,

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/sun ... -1-9259506

[Mark Hewitt]

Due to open by the end of August 2018,

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/sun ... -1-9259506

Bank holiday extravaganza then.

[GC_A690]

New roadsigns around the area have apparently revealed the road numbers for the bypassed sections of A1231. The A1290 is being extended from the Queen Alexandra Bridge gyratory to the new crossroads at the northern tie-in of the new bridge, which is not that surprising - if you believe in multiplexes then it was already in a multiplex with the A1231 through this section. It's not going to be primary though - again not surprising. The more interesting one is the flag sign that's popped up at the southern Queen Alexandra Bridge roundabout, showing the bridge as the B1539 - so a new B-road classification. It appears that this number covers just the bridge, and at the moment the number is only on one sign.

[wrinkly]

Any recent rumours on the opening date?

[Mark Hewitt]

The A1290 is being extended from the Queen Alexandra Bridge gyratory to the new crossroads at the northern tie-in of the new bridge, which is not that surprising - if you believe in multiplexes then it was already in a multiplex with the A1231 through this section.

Now that I look at it, it's a pretty strange multiplex anyway. That short section past Monkwearmouth to the QAB roundabout the multiplexing with both the A1231 and A19 before reappearing North of Nissan before running through the middle of Washington and meeting the A182. It doesn't in any sense make a through route.

[Glenn A]

New roadsigns around the area have apparently revealed the road numbers for the bypassed sections of A1231. The A1290 is being extended from the Queen Alexandra Bridge gyratory to the new crossroads at the northern tie-in of the new bridge, which is not that surprising - if you believe in multiplexes then it was already in a multiplex with the A1231 through this section. It's not going to be primary though - again not surprising. The more interesting one is the flag sign that's popped up at the southern Queen Alexandra Bridge roundabout, showing the bridge as the B1539 - so a new B-road classification. It appears that this number covers just the bridge, and at the moment the number is only on one sign.

Maybe downgrading the Queen Alexandra Bridge to a B road is to encourage traffic to use the Sunderland Bridge.

[GC_A690]

New roadsigns around the area have apparently revealed the road numbers for the bypassed sections of A1231. The A1290 is being extended from the Queen Alexandra Bridge gyratory to the new crossroads at the northern tie-in of the new bridge, which is not that surprising - if you believe in multiplexes then it was already in a multiplex with the A1231 through this section. It's not going to be primary though - again not surprising. The more interesting one is the flag sign that's popped up at the southern Queen Alexandra Bridge roundabout, showing the bridge as the B1539 - so a new B-road classification. It appears that this number covers just the bridge, and at the moment the number is only on one sign.

Maybe downgrading the Queen Alexandra Bridge to a B road is to encourage traffic to use the Sunderland Bridge.

Hardly a surprise that it's going to be a B-road, just interesting that they've chosen a new classification rather than extending, say, the B1405 or B1291.

I actually think the southern end of the new bridge is going to be dreadful for traffic until the next phase of the 'Strategic Transport Corridor' is completed because it'll funnel all the traffic onto a substandard S2 stretch along Pallion New Road.

[A691(M)]

Date announced for opening of Sunderland's new Northern Spire bridge

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/our-regi ... -1-9317006
The bridge will welcome pedestrians on Tuesday 28th August from 12pm 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, Wednesday 29th August.

[GC_A690]

Walked across the bridge yesterday. A very impressive structure, and the road layout looks reasonable. The speed limit is 40mph, which is not surprising given the frequency of traffic lights, plus there's one other intermediate junction that doesn't go anywhere. Going to drive across it on my way home from work tonight, but expecting it to be seriously busy especially at the southern end.

There isn't any dedicated cycling infrastructure (which I had thought was one of the things specifically mentioned in the original press); perhaps they're going to paint some white lines on the footways...