Queen Alexandra Bridge

The Queen Alexandra Bridge is a double deck road and rail bridge, with an approach rail viaduct to the north, spanning the River Wear. It was constructed between 1907 and 1909, designed by Charles A Harrison for the North Eastern Railway and Sunderland Corporation. The approaches, completed in 1907, were built by Mitchell Bros. of Glasgow, while the bridge itself was constructed by Sir William Arroll & Co.

The bridge features Norwegian rock-faced granite for its footings, abutments, and piers, and Dumfries red sandstone for the approach viaduct. The superstructure is made of steel, utilizing box-girder construction with closely set lattice work. The main river span is a hog-back design, measuring 330 feet long, with land spans of 200 feet each, one to the south and two to the north. The rail deck is supported by cross girders that are riveted to steel columns, and it is tied longitudinally at road level by 4-feet-high lattice girders that serve as handrails for footpaths. At rail level, the deck is supported by both longitudinal and overhead transverse girders.

The approach rail viaduct to the north retains five arches, although one is blocked. The last train crossed the bridge in 1921, and the railway tracks were removed before World War II. Originally built for coal traffic, the metal spans are believed to be among the heaviest constructed in the country.