Big tab, six months needed to fix London bridge

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- London's swaying Millennium Bridge will cost at least five million pounds ($7.13 million) to make safe, bridge operators said Thursday.

The multimillion-pound footbridge over the River Thames closed two days after it opened in June because of excessive wobbling when crowds tried to make the crossing between St. Paul's Cathedral and the new Tate Modern gallery.

The Millennium Bridge Trust said it had approved plans by engineering firm Arup to test a "damping" solution, which would stabilize the 1,050-foot-longbridge without compromising the design.

"The testing and analysis will take approximately six weeks. Subject to the outcome, we hope to move quickly to start the full remedial work and anticipate this will require a further six months work," Trust Chairman David Bell said in a statement.

"Arup estimates the work will cost in the region of five million pounds, plus the additional costs of long-term maintenance," he added.

A spokesman for The Trust said negotiations were proceeding over who would foot the bill.

Architect Norman Foster promised a "blade of light" across the dark waters of the Thames when it was lit up at night.

London's first new bridge in more than 100 years was part of a trio of costly millennium projects. The Millennium Dome has failed to attract even half its expected number of visitors, and the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel, failed to open on time because of structural problems.

Engineers hope to make the footbridge safe to cross by fixing it with shock absorbers, like those fitted in cars, to respond to movement and to control vibration.

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