In 1996 the Gateshead Council launched a competition to design a bridge that would complement Newcastle’s six existing bridges. After receiving over 150 entries the design by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Gifford & Partners was accepted in February 1997. The bridge cost £22 million and construction work began in May 1999.

The Millennium Bridge was the first tilting bridge in the world. Using two steel arches with a span of 100 metres that can rotate 40 degrees.

It allows river traffic to pass underneath by tilting the pedestrian side upward to form a ‘V’ shape. When lowered the bridge has two separate sections that allows both pedestrians and cyclists to cross over.  There are specially designated times and days when the bridge closes to pedestrians and cyclists in order for this tilting process to happen and this has become a popular sight for visitors to observe.  The Gateshead Council website has a set list of dates and times when the bridge is scheduled to tilt.

On November 20, 2000 the bridge’s main structure was lifted into place by one of the world’s largest floating cranes, the Asian Hercules II.  The bridge was opened to the public on September 17, 2001 and its first tilt was on June 28, 2001. More than 36,000 people lined the Quayside to watch. Millennium Bridge was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on May 7, 2002.

The unique structure of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge is also known as ‘The Blinking Eye Bridge’ because of its resemblance to an eye winking. It has become a much loved and world-renowned landmark of Newcastle. The bridge is also unique for its environmentally friendly designed.

The walkway is engineered to collect rubbish in designated containers every time the bridge tilts upward. This can then be removed by maintenance workers, preventing river pollution.

In 2002 Wilkinson Eyre won the RIBA Stirling Prize for their unique design of this bridge.  The bridge continued to win design awards and in 2005 won the Outstanding Structure Award by The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Wilkinson Eyre for their help and assistance in obtaining the designs you see in this display.