Wobbly bridge 'could stay shut for months'

The bridge is to be fitted with "shock absorbers"

The wobbly Millennium Bridge could remain shut for another eight months, according to a senior engineer.

The £18m bridge across the River Thames had to be closed last June just two days after it opened because the structure was swaying.

A leading employee of engineering company Arup, which is attempting to correct the original fault, has told the London Evening Standard that the construction could be open by Christmas.

The problem of the wobble came out of the blue

Tony Fitzpatrick

It had been hoped it that the modifications - which involve fitting "shock absorbers" - would mean the bridge being ready by this summer.

But the company has said that a firm date will be given until funding issues are resolved. This is due to happen in the next few days.

Arup believes it has found the cause of the swaying and has designed dampers to prevent the problem recurring.

Arup has carried out marching tests

But Tony Fitzpatrick, the firm's head of engineering, told the newspaper that work on fitting the 30 dampers could not begin until June when the first one comes off an American production line.

"We expect to be able to re-open the Millennium Bridge by the end of the year.

"We are planning a big Christmas Party on the bridge," he said.

Mr Fitzpatrick also said: "The problem of the wobble came out of the blue.

"Nobody had ever experienced this sort of movement on this scale before."

Blade of light

The 320-metre footbridge was dubbed the "blade of light" by its makers, who included sculptor Sir Anthony Caro and architect Lord Foster.

It was inaugurated by the Queen in May and was used by about 150,000 visitors in the first three days of opening on 10 June.

But the "synchronised footfall" effect of hundreds of people stepping in unison triggered such an alarming swaying motion the engineers decided to close the bridge.