The Gateshead Millennium Bridge spans the River Tyne between Gateshead and the Newcastle Quayside. WilkinsonEyre designed the architecture and Gifford the structure, for Gateshead Council. A design competition was held in 1996. The bridge first tilted on June 28, 2001, opened to the public on September 17, 2001, and was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on May 7, 2002. The article names no style.
It is a tilt bridge. Two steel arches carry a pedestrian and cycle deck, resting on concrete piers. The bridge is 126 meters long and 8 meters wide, with a longest span of 105 meters. Six hydraulic rams tilt it through 40 degrees, leaving about 25 meters of clearance for river traffic.
Eighteen suspension cables, night lighting and a self-cleaning deck are noted, and its opening motion earned the nickname Blinking Eye Bridge. It opens periodically for sightseers and events.
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