Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is the first bridge in England that can be rotated about the longitudinal axis through their pivots to allow the passage of ships under the bridge. It connects Newcastle with The Sage Gateshead, a concert hall, and The Baltic, a museum, located in Gateshead, and allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the River Tyne. The building planned structural engineers Gifford and Partners of Southampton together with the architects Wilkinson Eyre Architects of London.

The bridge consists of a horizontal arc, known as cover, which serves to cross the river. A second bend which extends in the initial position to the top, is connected to the stabilizing ropes by means of the deck. This construct can by eight motors ( 433 kW) are tilted along the line connecting the two support points upwards ( to 45 ° ), so that ships can pass underneath the bridge. Since the bridge reminded of a winking eye, she is nicknamed the " Blinking Eye". The Millennium Bridge is, among other motifs depicted on the back of the one-pound coin.

The bridge was handed over on Monday, September 17th, 2001 at 15:00 clock the public. 2003, the bridge with the Supreme Award from the Institution of Structural Engineers Award. 2004 received the building as well as its architects and engineers the Outstanding Structure Award of IABSE.

At night, the bridge is illuminated in color.

Specifications

  • Cost: £ 22 million
  • Weight: 850 tons
  • Height: 50 m
  • Wingspan: 126 m
  • Length of time for the opening of the bridge 4 ½ minutes
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