Which bridge in Newcastle and Gateshead became the world’s first and only tilting bridge when it opened in 2001?

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge became the world’s first and only tilting bridge when it opened in 2001.

It crosses the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in northeast England. The structure has two steel arches: one forms the pedestrian and cycle deck, while the other acts as a counterweight. Hydraulic jacks rotate the paired arches together, lifting the deck to let ships pass.

The bridge is widely called the “Blinking Eye” because its movement resembles an eye closing and opening. It should not be confused with London’s Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge across the Thames that opened in 2000 and does not tilt.