Watching the tilting of the Millennium Bridge which spans the River Tyne is described as a world class experience. Having watched it myself last month, I can say that the experience is truly world class!.
The Millennium Bridge was opened in June 2001 and since then it’s grace and engineering has attracted people from all over the world. It links the new arts and cultural development on the south bank of the River Tyne at Gateshead with Newcastle quayside.
We were visiting The Baltic Arts Centre on the South Bank when we had the opportunity of watching the bridge tilt, later we decided to walk over the bridge to take in the views of the river and to visit the vibrant quay area of Newcastle.
The Millennium bridge was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and engineered by Gifford and Partners, the bridge stands at the end of a line of very distinguished bridges including The Tyne Bridge and High Level Bridge. It weighs over 850 tonnes, is powered by 8 electric motors equivalent to 589 horsepower. It sits on 19,000 tonnes of concrete and cost 22million to build.
When the bridge tilts it takes four minutes for the bridge to open to allow river traffic to pass beneath. Details of tilt times are available from the Gateshead Millennium Bridge website or “here”:https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/4742/Bridges
The spectacular lighting that is on the bridge brings the river alive once darkness falls, it is well worth a visit in the evening to see what an impact the lighting creates..
The bridge is designed for pedestrians and cycles only with a dedicated cycle path, this means you can enjoy a leisurely walk over the bridge without the distraction of traffic.
The bridge has a wheelchair friendly surface and is accessible at both ends for wheelchairs and scooters.
On the Gateshead side of the bridge,the Bridge leads directly to The Baltic Centre for Art, and The Sage Theatre – known as the international home for music and music discovery.
