The spectacular tilting of Gateshead’s world-famous Millennium Bridge is set to remain a far rarer sight than it once was, as the crossing is hit by budget cuts.
Council bosses have announced plans to abolish the daily openings of the iconic structure that usually delight visitors to the Quayside during the summer months, though these have not taken place since before the Covid pandemic. It became the world’s first tilting bridge when it opened in 2001 and its stunning motion saw it nicknamed the ‘Blinking Eye’.
But a financial crisis at Gateshead Council means that the innovative pedestrian and cyclist bridge will be only opened as needed to allow boats to pass under it – and not to entertain tourists. Draft budget proposals considered by the authority’s cabinet this week include a £10,000 saving from cutting the number of tilts.
Read More: The Swing Bridge still can't swing – more worries for future of Tyneside's 'marvel of engineering'
And while £10,000 is a relatively minuscule amount in the grand scheme of the council’s cash woes, bosses say that they must consider cutting their cloth in all areas. Civic centre bosses also believe that cutting the number of bridge tilts will improve its longevity and delay the need to carry out costly major maintenance.
A council spokesperson said: "The proposed budget saving with regard to Gateshead Millennium Bridge is in relation to the daily tourist tilts that operate at 12 noon between May 1 and September 30. These tilts were stopped during the Covid pandemic and have not been resumed.
“Due to the huge pressures on our budget and the need to make at least £10m savings in 2023/24 all service areas are being reviewed. In order to tilt Gateshead Millennium Bridge two members of staff, in addition to the bridge master, are needed from the wider workforce which disrupts other council activities. Gateshead Millennium Bridge will continue to open, as required, for river traffic."
The council is facing a £55m financial black hole over the next five years and unveiled budget-cutting proposals this week that come on top of the potential closure of at least two leisure centres, a move that has sparked major worries from locals and led to a protest outside the civic centre this week.
36,000 people lined the banks of the Tyne to watch the £22m bridge tilt for the first time in June 2001. It came into use that September and was then officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. The Millennium Bridge, which had to be lowered into place by Europe's largest floating crane, is powered by eight electric motors and each opening and closing takes four and a half minutes.
Bridge tilts are available for shipping 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at no charge – though the council’s website states that there are currently none planned. Any vessel with a mast or superstructure less than 24 metres in height above the waterline wishing to pass under the bridge can request that it be lifted.
The Millennium Bridge is just the latest of the Tyne’s celebrated crossings to be hit by bad news lately. The Tyne Bridge has been awaiting a much-needed restoration for years, but its refurbishment could now take up to four years after investigations revealed it is in an even worse state of disrepair than had been feared.
The Swing Bridge, meanwhile, remains incapable of swinging after it jammed shut last year and has not opened in more than three years. And the High Level Bridge has regularly been a source of complaints about graffiti and vandalism.
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- Protest over Gateshead leisure centre closures as campaigners vow to 'fight back' against cuts
- Bins, parks, and street cleaning face cuts in 'bleak' Gateshead Council plans to tackle £55m cash crisis
