Gateshead Millennium Bridge

Opened on Monday 20 November 2000, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge is still the world's first and only tilting bridge. The unique design is based on the simple idea of a pair of steel arches - one is the deck, the other supports the deck. The whole bridge tilts, undergoing a metamorphous into a grand arch, in an operation that evokes the slow opening of a huge eye.

Already acclaimed worldwide for its physical and aesthetic beauty, the bridge has fast become a significant tourist attraction in its own right and draws interested visitors from around the world. The bridge was the result of a competition of local residents to find a solution to linking two new developments on each side of the river. The brief was to create a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists that:

• Allowed ships to pass underneath
• Did not overshadow the world famous view of the existing bridges
• Didn’t obstruct the Quayside

Plan your visit to the Gateshead Millennium Bridge Area

• Central Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hotels - view and book a wide choice of accommodation convenient for Gateshead Millennium Bridge
• Gateshead Millennium Bridge Website - view details of the bridge