The task of lighting Gateshead Millennium Bridge fell to Jonathan Speirs and Associates (JSA ).
They created a complex design to fully illuminate the bridge without causing light pollution.
The bridge's lighting design breaks down into several elements:
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Arch
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Pedestrian walkway, cycle decks and balustrade
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Underside of the deck
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Opening and closing
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Lighting
The bridge is not lit during tilts, so as not to distract ships passing underneath.
The arch is lit with a series of high-powered lights which change colour to add to the design. In the week it is lit with a crystal white light and at weekends it changes to a spectrum of colours.
The pedestrian walkway, cycle decks and balustrade are illuminated with a string of white LED 's, each drawing just three watts of electricity.
Lighting on the underside of the deck causes an almost mirror-like appearance on the surface of the slow moving River Tyne.
Finally, in order to alert pedestrians and cyclists to the bridge's opening and closing, custom-designed green and red LED's are used. The green LED's are embedded in the ground in the shape of a "go" arrow, whilst the red LED's feed into a no-entry symbol.
A synchronised siren also sounds to alert cyclists and pedestrians that the bridge is about to tilt.