Gateshead Millennium Bridge - Newcastle, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 54° 58.209 W 001° 36.015
30U E 589602 N 6092366
This pedestrian bridge was world's first ever tilting bridge and was constructed to carry pedestrians and cyclists across the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle.
Waymark Code: WMKK8G
Location: North East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/25/2014
Views: 12
This bridge is a marvel of engineering and is at the site of what was once one of the busiest ports in the UK. Although no longer a major port some ships do still pass this way.
Therefore when Gateshead council decided to build a new bridge it had to be either a very high bridge or a moveable bridge. Unlike the nearby road bridge, built as a swing bridge in 1876 this bridge used a modern engineering design to be the world's first tilting bridge.
The co-ordinates for the bridge have been taken at the Newcastle end of the bridge. A nearby information board gives us the story behind the bridge.
In 1996 Gateshead Council launched a
competition to design a dedicated bridge to
cyclists and pedestrians which would complemet
the existing six bridges crossing the Tyne.
The winning bridge, The Gateshead Millenium
Bridge was designed by architects Wilkinson
& Eyre and structural engineers Gifford & Partners
and is the world's first and only tilting bridge.
When the bridge was opened to the public in
September 2001 it immediately captured the imagination
of the visitors and locals alike. Now fondly
nicknamed the 'Blinking Eye Bridge' it spans the
River Tyne connecting Newcastle on the north
bank to Gateshead on the south bank.
The bridge was lifted into place by Europe's
largets floating crane - Asian Hercules II in
November 2000, transporting it six miles up river
as one complete structure. The finished bridge
cost £22m to build. It was part funded by the
Millennium Commission and European Regional
Development Fund and has subsequently won
over 20 design awards and 5 lighting awards.
The bridge is capable of opening to allow ships
and boats (up to 25m tall) to pass underneath,
this is achieved by using six hydraulic rams
(three on each side, which are enclosed in glass
canopies) which rotate the bridge back on large
bearings, tilting the structure in as little as
4.5 minutes to its full 40 degrees. The bridge tilts as a
single, rigid structure, as the arch lowers, the
pathways rise. On 20th November 2000 the
Gateshead Millennium Bridge performed its first
tilt; 36,000 people from all over the UK lined the
banks of the River Tyne to watch the special
innovative and world famous landmark in action.
Visit Instructions:To record a visit to a Millennium Waymark, please:
Take a photo of the item during your visit.
Describe your visit and what you thought about the item.
Please also mention what you personally did to mark the new Millennium. Was it a night to remember?