Millennium Bridge, Steel suspension footbridge in London, England
The Millennium Bridge is a steel suspension footbridge over the Thames linking Bankside with the City of London. Its three spans measure 81, 144 and 108 metres, with a 4-metre aluminium deck and eight cables set below deck level, giving a shallow profile. Two pale V-shaped piers rise from the water, and blue lighting glows along the underside.
The bridge opened in June 2000 as a millennium project, but unexpected swaying forced authorities to close it just days later. After extensive engineering adjustments, it reopened to the public in 2002.
The bridge's alignment frames St Paul's south facade in a terminating vista from the south bank, a view the low cable profile was designed to keep clear. Its nickname "Wobbly Bridge" dates from the swaying of opening day in June 2000. In March 2008 it was closed for two days for filming, when it is destroyed on screen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
The four-meter-wide crossing remains open around the clock and offers a continuous link between both riverbanks. Wheelchair users can navigate the bridge easily, and the flat profile makes access straightforward for all visitors.
Engineers installed 37 dampers inside the structure to control lateral swaying that earned the crossing its nickname Wobbly Bridge. These hidden components work continuously, while visitors today cross without sensing any movement.
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