Gateshead Millennium Bridge—an eye-opener for engineering

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne in north-east England is a unique tilting bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Opened by the Queen in May 2002, the inspirational 105 m span structure subsequently became the first bridge to win the Royal Institute of British Architects' 2002 Stirling Prize for ‘building of the year’. This paper provides an overview of what has become known as the ‘blinking eye’ bridge and of the processes adopted to achieve and deliver it—not least the spectacular superstructure installation.