[3] It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 November 1981, nine days before regular Metro service began.

It was one of two major bridges built specifically for the Tyne and Wear Metro, the other being the Byker Viaduct crossing the Ouseburn valley.

[4] In 2006, Nexus, operators of the Metro, commissioned artist Nayan Kulkarni to install a huge artwork on the bridge.

The artwork, Nocturne, sees the bridge painted two distinct tones of blue, while at night, 140 Lumiflood 36 LED lighting units[5] create an ever-changing pattern of colours based on photographs submitted by members of the public.

[5] Nocturne was completed and opened on 26 April 2007[6] and means that all five main bridges across the Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle have unique lighting schemes.