More than a year and a half after it was closed, the £18 million millennium bridge finally reopened today, though it was a much lower key affair than it's first opening in June 2000, which followed a Royal inauguration by the Queen.

Following a media blitz about London's first new Thames crossing in more than a century, the Foster and Partners' Millennium Bridge stayed open for just three days, after it began swaying noticeably. Over 160,000 people crossed the bridge in the first weekend, traversing the Thames from St Pauls and the city to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. However, according to the engineers who took the decision to close the bridge, the "synchronised footfall" effect of hundreds of people stepping at the same time caused the much unwanted symptom of sea sickness in many of the pedestrians that made the crossing.

Engineers Arup, who have been leading the remedial work are now fully confident that the wobble has been successful removed. Arup has installed more than 90 dampers, which are like car shock absorbers, in order to reduce the movement of the 350-metre structure. Work to correct the problem started in May 2001 and was finally completed in January this year, with delays occurring after 11 September due to the late delivery of the dampers from the US.

A series of extensive tests were concluded last month when 2,200 volunteers were marched across the bridge, after which engineers agreed that the bridge was safe to be used by the public.

Anyone who is particularly sensitive to sea sickness should cross the bridge with caution, however, since project engineer Roger Ridsdell Smith admitted that the wobble has not been entirely eliminated. However, he did say that it is now barely perceptible and consistent with the movement expected from any high-storey building.

There will be no official ceremony to mark the reopening, but there will be a private concert held by Arup, in order to thank all those involved with the project.