The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist
tilt bridge
A tilt bridge is a type of moveable bridge which rotates about fixed endpoints rather than lifting or bending, as with a drawbridge. The tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead on the south bank and Newcast ...
spanning the
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...
between
Gateshead
Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
arts quarter on the south bank and
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
's
Quayside
The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom.
History
The area was once an industrial area and busy com ...
area on the north bank. It was the first tilting bridge ever to be constructed.
Opened for public use in 2001, the award-winning
structure was conceived and designed by architectural practice
WilkinsonEyre
WilkinsonEyre is an international architecture practice based in London, England. In 1983 Chris Wilkinson (architect), Chris Wilkinson founded Chris Wilkinson Architects, he partnered with Jim Eyre (architect), Jim Eyre in 1987 and the practice w ...
and structural engineering firm
Gifford. The bridge is sometimes called the 'Blinking Eye Bridge' or the 'Winking Eye Bridge' due to its shape and its tilting method. The Millennium Bridge stands as the
twentieth tallest structure in the city, and is shorter in stature than the neighbouring
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, ...
.
History
Historical context
Gateshead Millennium Bridge is part of a long history of bridges built across the River Tyne, the earliest of which was constructed in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
.
As
quay
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
-based industries grew during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
and
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
due to its accessible port, the area became more prosperous.
However, industry declined along the River Tyne following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the quay deteriorated into the 1980s. This prompted regeneration activities in both Newcastle and Gateshead, beginning with the construction of
Newcastle Crown Courts on the riverbank. In 1995,
Gateshead Council
The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, North East England. It includes Gateshead, Rowlands Gill, Whickham, Blaydon, Ryton, Felling, Pelaw, Dunston and Low Fell. The bo ...
devised plans to develop a new contemporary arts centre, the
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art (also known simply as (the) Baltic, stylised as BALTIC) is a centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. It hosts a frequently changing variety ...
, and the need for a footbridge to link the two cities became more apparent.
Conception
A competition was held by Gateshead Council in 1996 to design a new bridge to link Gateshead to Newcastle,
the first opening bridge to be built on the River Tyne in over 100 years.
The bridge would form part of the regeneration on both sides of the River Tyne, providing a crossing between new commercial buildings and housing built in Newcastle and cultural and leisure developments in Gateshead. It would also facilitate a circular promenade around the
Quayside
The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom.
History
The area was once an industrial area and busy com ...
. Although river-based traffic had decreased by the 21st century, the cities of Gateshead and Newcastle still intended to retain the image of the River Tyne as a working river. The advert for the competition was published in the ''
New Civil Engineer
''New Civil Engineer'' is the monthly magazine for members of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the UK chartered body that oversees the practice of civil engineering in the UK. First published in May 1972, it is today published by Metropoli ...
'' magazine with the brief "We are looking for design teams who can create a stunning, but practical, river level crossing which fits this historic setting, opens for shipping and is good enough to win
Millennium Commission
The Millennium Commission, a United Kingdom public body, was set up to celebrate the turn of the millennium. It used funding raised through the UK National Lottery to assist communities in marking the close of the second millennium and celebra ...
funding." There were over 150 entries and Gateshead residents voted for their favourite out of a shortlist of six architectural teams. WilkinsonEyre and Gifford and Partners claimed the prize in February 1997 with Gateshead Councillor Mick Henry remarking that the design was "something very special."
By July 1997, a final design was under preparation for submission to the Millennium Commission in order to secure funding. The bridge, which is the world's first
tilting bridge,
ultimately cost £22million, with funding from the Millennium Commission, the
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is one of the European Structural and Investment Funds allocated by the European Union. Its purpose is to transfer money from richer regions (not countries), and invest it in the infrastructure and se ...
,
English Partnerships
English Partnerships (EP) was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by regional development agencies on a regional level. On 1 December 2008 its powers passed to a successor ...
, East Gateshead Single Regeneration Budget, and Gateshead Council. By this point, the name of the bridge was still undecided. The original proposed name of 'Baltic Millennium Bridge' (in reference to the adjacent Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on the Gateshead side) was objected to by
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the 26 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the Labou ...
. In response, Gateshead Council decided upon the final name of 'Gateshead Millennium Bridge' in 1998, which caused an ongoing feud between the two councils.
Opening
Gateshead Council originally announced that the bridge would be open in September 2000, but it was not completed until September the following year. The first tilt took place on 28 June 2001 to 36,000 onlookers.
It was opened to the public on 17 September 2001 to a crowd of thousands.
The barrier lifted at 2pm to allow the first public crossing, and the first people to cross received a commemorative medal gift from the Council. The bridge was dedicated by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
on 7 May 2002, during her
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
tour. A commemorative plaque unveiled by the Queen reads: "Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 7th May 2002." Before a formal dinner at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the Queen said "Today I see the tangible signs of the determination of all those within this region to create a new future. There have been so many personal acts of kindness, especially over the last two months, now I have the chance to express my gratitude to the people of the North East."
Structure
Design
![MovableBridge tilt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/MovableBridge_tilt.gif)
Gateshead Millennium Bridge was constructed to fulfil the following main design constraints: the bridge must be above river-level during high spring tides when closed; nothing must be built on the Gateshead
Quayside
The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom.
History
The area was once an industrial area and busy com ...
; the deck must have a 1:20 slope to allow disabled access. The bridge consists of two steel arches – a deck which acts as the pedestrian and cycle path, and a supporting arch.
The bridge was designed to be as light as possible to allow for easy opening and closing, so the two arches are lighter towards the centre span than at the hinges. The pedestrian and cycle deck is a parabolic shape with a vertical camber. It is divided into two separate paths on different levels for the different modes of transport, separated by a
stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
"hedge" with seating areas and steps interspersed throughout. The supporting arch is also a parabola, designed in such as way to match the shape of the
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, ...
upstream. The two arches are joined together by 18 suspension cables which provide stability for people crossing the bridge.
Six
hydraulic ram
A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It takes in water at one "hydraulic head" (pressure) and flow rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic head and lower flow rate. The device uses the water hammer ef ...
s (three on each side) tilt the entire 850,000kg bridge as a single structure, meaning that when the supporting arch lowers, the pedestrian deck rises to create of clearance for river traffic to pass underneath.
The bridge takes around four minutes to rotate through the full 40° from closed to open, moving as fast as per second. The design is so energy-efficient that, , it cost just £3.96 per opening. The appearance of the bridge during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the "Blinking Eye Bridge", and has solidified its reputation as being not only a functional piece of infrastructure but a spectacle in and of itself.
The rotation of the bridge is also used as a self-cleaning mechanism, as rubbish collected on the deck rolls towards traps built at each end.
A lighting system designed by Jonathan Spiers and Associates is used at night to attractively illuminate the bridge without causing light pollution, as the cables are too thin to be visible or reflect light at night. The lights shine white during the week and a variety of colours over the weekend. Green and red LEDs are used during the day to alert cyclists and pedestrians to the bridge's opening and closing.
File:Too Late - geograph.org.uk - 336862.jpg, alt=Picture of a close-up of the pedestrian and cycle arch while the bridge is tilting., Close-up of the pedestrian and cycle arch while the bridge is tilting.
File:Millennium Bridge - Hydraulic Rams - geograph.org.uk - 477276.jpg, alt=Picture of the hydraulic rams which allow the bridge to fully tilt open in around 4 minutes., The hydraulic rams allow the bridge to fully tilt open in around 4minutes.
File:Millenium Bridge at dusk.jpg, alt=Picture Gateshead Millennium Bridge lit purple at dusk.The lights on the bridge vary in colour over the weekend., Gateshead Millennium Bridge lit purple at dusk. The lights on the bridge vary in colour over the weekend.
Construction and installation
Gateshead Council selected Gateshead-based Harbour & General as the main contractor for the construction of the bridge. Harbour and General then selected over 12 sub-contractors to cover elements of construction including control systems, metalwork, lighting, and piling and river work. Consulting engineering group
Ramboll
Rambøll Group A/S (also known as just "Ramboll") is a Danish consulting engineering group.
History
Rambøll was founded in October 1945 as "Rambøll & Hannemann" in Copenhagen. In 1991 the company merged with "B. Højlund Rasmussen A/S" into ...
provided further engineering, construction, and contract management services.
The bridge's structure was modelled in
LUSAS
LUSAS is a UK-based developer and supplier of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) application software products that bear the same name.
History
LUSAS has its origins back in 1970 when a group of research workers at the University of London (now i ...
using 3D elements. LUSAS modelling allowed a model of the bridge to be built and allowed analysis of buckling forces, wind, and temperature. Another software – Pertmaster Professional – was used for risk and project management and cost analysis.
Watson Steel was appointed as the specialist contractor to prefabricate the bridge, and they subcontracted the design of the hydraulic system to Kvaerner Markham. The pre-fabricated sections of the bridge were
shot-blasted
Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove su ...
and painted in Hadrian's Yard, from the bridge's final position. The entire structure was assembled by first welding together the nine arch sections and deck sections, and then attaching the cables to the arch and deck. Protective paintwork (Interzone 505 and Interthane 990 from
International Protective Coatings) was applied to the arch before it was erected.
The bridge was lifted into place in one piece by the
Asian Hercules II
''Asian Hercules II'' is a floating sheerleg crane vessel owned and operated by Asian Lift (Smit Singapore and Keppel Fels).
History
She was built in 1997 in Singapore at Keppel's Far East-Levingston Shipbuilding Ltd's yard. Soon after completion ...
, one of the world's largest
floating cranes
Floating may refer to:
* a type of dental work performed on horse teeth
* use of an isolation tank
* the guitar-playing technique where chords are sustained rather than scratched
* ''Floating'' (play), by Hugh Hughes
* Floating (psychological phe ...
, on 20 November 2000.
Whilst being transported by the crane, the bridge was rotated 90° in order to navigate narrow bends along the river. It was successfully slotted into threaded bolts in the piers with only of tolerance. Handrails, seating, and the hydraulic systems were installed after the bridge was in place. The transportation of the bridge took only one day and was a spectacle, attracting crowds on onlookers.
The
Port of Tyne Authority
The Port of Tyne comprises the commercial docks on and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear in the northeast of England.
History
There has been a port on the Tyne at least since the Romans used their settlement of Arbeia to supply the g ...
required the design of the bridge to incorporate a vessel collision protection system. As a result, two rows of parallel fixed piles, splaying out diagonally on each side of the bridge, were installed. However, it became clear to members of the construction project team and WilkinsonEyre that they were unsightly and undermined "the finesse of the bridge". Between February and June 2000, the unsightly nature of the piles also caught the attention of the public, with multiple news articles and letters expressing discontent. Complaints included the fact that the
Millennium Bridge in London did not have similar piles, and that a
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
boat race had to be moved specifically to avoid potential collision with the piles. Over time, Gateshead Council and the Harbourmaster noted that the piles were not required and they were removed in 2012. This decision was ultimately less expensive than maintaining them.
Regional and cultural significance
Gateshead Millennium Bridge has retained its status as a significant local landmark and tourist attraction, not only built to develop the local area but establish local pride.
It is one of several cultural landmarks on Gateshead Quays, including Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and
Sage Gateshead
Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre in Gateshead on the south side of the River Tyne in North East England. Opened in 2004 and occupied by North Music Trust it is part of the Gateshead Quays development which incl ...
. It opens periodically for sightseers and for major events such as
The Boat Race of the North
The Boat Race of the North is an annual rowing event between the boat clubs of Durham and Newcastle universities in England. The event is usually staged on the River Tyne in Newcastle, although the 2018 race was held on the River Wear in Durham.
...
and the
Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race
The Tall Ships Races are races for sail training "tall ships" (sailing ships). The races are designed to encourage international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing. The races are held annually in European waters and c ...
. The bridge also lights up to mark celebrations or dedications. For example, it was lit blue on 4 July 2020 as part of the 'Light it Blue' campaign celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
and its contributions during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. It was also lit green in April 2020 in recognition of social care workers.
The bridge has been featured in film and on TV including the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
TV drama ''
55 Degrees North
''55 Degrees North'' is a BBC television drama series starring Don Gilet as DS Nicky Cole, a London detective relocated to Newcastle upon Tyne after exposing police corruption. Dervla Kirwan co-stars as Claire Maxwell, an ambitious solicitor.
...
'' and the British 2005 film ''
Goal!''.
On 17 July 2005,
Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick (born January 1, 1967) is an American photographer best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world.
Life and career
Spencer Tunick was born in Middle ...
used the bridge in an art installation whereby 1,700 people gathered together nude and were photographed around the Millennium and Tyne Bridges and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The bridge was pictured on a first-class
stamp
Stamp or Stamps or Stamping may refer to:
Official documents and related impressions
* Postage stamp, used to indicate prepayment of fees for public mail
* Ration stamp, indicating the right to rationed goods
* Revenue stamp, used on documents to ...
in 2000,
and a
pound coin
The British one pound (£1) coin is a denomination of sterling coinage. Its obverse bears the Latin engraving ELIZABETH II D G REG () F D () meaning, 'Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'. Proclamation of 28 May 1 ...
depicting the bridge was produced by the
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins.
Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...
in 2007.
Awards
Gateshead Millennium Bridge has won a total of 25 awards for design and lighting.
For the construction of the bridge, the architect WilkinsonEyre won the 2002
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(RIBA)
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The S ...
. This was a somewhat controversial decision; although the RIBA judges described the bridge as a "truly heroic piece of engineering and construction", there was debate among the attendees of the awards ceremony as to whether it also counted as architecture, with some citing the fact that it was not a building. However, Jim Eyre of WilkinsonEyre argued that the feat did cross over into the boundary of architecture. WilkinsonEyre and
Gifford also won the 2003
IStructE Supreme Award.
The bridge was awarded the
British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Design Award in 2002. In 2005, the bridge received the Outstanding Structure Award from the
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering
The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) is a non-profit organisation with mission to promote the exchange of knowledge and to advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profess ...
.
Outstanding Structure Award IABSE
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Gateshead Council page
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
by Sándor Kabai, The Wolfram Demonstrations Project
The Wolfram Demonstrations Project is an organized, open-source collection of small (or medium-size) interactive programs called Demonstrations, which are meant to visually and interactively represent ideas from a range of fields. It is hos ...
.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
Gateshead Millennium Bridge awards
{{IStructE Supreme Award laureates
Bridges completed in 2001
Bridges in Tyne and Wear
Buildings and structures celebrating the third millennium
Buildings and structures in Gateshead
Buildings and structures in Newcastle upon Tyne
2001 establishments in England
Crossings of the River Tyne
High-tech architecture
Pedestrian bridges in England
Tilt bridges
Tourist attractions in Tyne and Wear
Transport in Newcastle upon Tyne