'Wobbly' Millennium Bridge marks 25th anniversary

A quarter of a century after it opened and promptly closed, London's Millennium Bridge is marking its 25th anniversary.

The footbridge, which spans the Thames between St Paul's Cathedral and the Tate Modern, was crossed by about 90,000 people when it opened on 10 June 2000.

The landmark closed after three days due to swaying, which saw it dubbed the "wobbly bridge". It was reopened in February 2002 after having dampers fitted.

Chair of City Bridge Foundation Paul Martinelli said: "Despite its teething troubles, the bridge has become firmly established in the hearts of Londoners."

The bridge was the result of a competition launched in 1996 by the Millennium Bridge Trust and promoted by the Financial Times, Royal Institute of British Architects and Southwark Council.

The design, which avoided blocking the view of St Paul's with tall suspension towers, was a partnership between architectural firm Foster + Partners, the late sculptor Sir Anthony Caro and engineers Arup.

The concept of the bridge as a "blade of light" was designed by Lord Foster, and early sketches were drawn on the back of a napkin in a central London wine bar by engineers Chris Wise and Roger Ridsdill Smith.

"We spent hours in there, sketching and sketching and trying to come up with an idea," Mr Wise said.

"We got more and more minimal until it was one line connecting the river from side to side.

"I was on the bridge on opening day with my son on my shoulders when it started to wobble. I did feel very responsible, but I don't recall any sense of crisis – it was more fascination, what's the problem and what can we do about it?

"It's great to have been involved in something that's now part of the fabric of London."

A bridge spanning the Thames between St Paul's Cathedral and Southwark was first mooted in the 1850s, with parliamentary approval finally granted in 1911.

A competition in 1913 saw bridge designs including an ornate stone structure featuring a carved winged goddess and a bridge with covered walkways and glass screens to protect pedestrians from the elements.

After World War One, an attempt to revive the bridge idea was scrapped amid concerns its construction would disturb the foundations of the cathedral.

Following the competition, bridge construction began in late 1998 with the main works starting in April 1999, marked by a ceremony attended by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The modern structure was the first new bridge over the River Thames since Tower Bridge was built in 1894.

Mr Ridsdill Smith, senior partner and head of structural engineering at Foster + Partners, said he was proud to have worked on the Millennium Bridge.

"Our design solution provided the most minimal means to span the Thames," he said.

The steel suspension bridge is 1,066ft 3in (325m) long – roughly the length of three football pitches – 13ft (4m) wide and sits 35ft 4in (10.8m) above the Thames at high tide.

Queen Elizabeth visited the bridge on 9 May 2000 for a ceremony of dedication and was greeted with banners and fanfares.

Celebrities attending the public opening on 10 June newsreader Julia Somerville, Coronation Street actor Chris Bisson and H from Steps.

The bridge opened on a Saturday, access was restricted on Sunday due to the swaying and the bridge closed indefinitely on Monday evening for a full investigation.

Bridge experts said the wobbling was due to "synchronous lateral excitation", meaning that people were subconsciously adjusting their step to the bridge's natural swaying motion, making it sway even more.

It remained closed for 18 months to allow dampers, which work a bit like the shock absorbers in a car, to be fitted underneath to stop the bridge from wobbling.

Ownership of the bridge transferred to the ancient charity City Bridge Foundation on 22 February 2002, the same day it finally reopened to the public.

Lord Foster, founder and executive chairman of Foster + Partners, described the bridge as a collaboration between architecture, art and engineering.

On Tuesday the City Bridge Foundation will hold a cake cutting ceremony on the bridge to mark its 25th year.

A poem has been written to celebrate the occasion which visitors can find by scanning a QR code on the bridge.

Mr Martinelli said the bridge had become a "true London icon".

"A quarter of a century after it opened, it's now hard to imagine this stretch of the River Thames without Millennium Bridge," he said.

The bridge has appeared in films including Guardians of the Galaxy, Run Fatboy Run and, most famously, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, when it was destroyed by Death Eaters.

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