The current Wearmouth Bridge carries the main road across the Wear between the city centre and the north bank where the university and National Glass Centre stand. The view from the bridge up and down the river is good, taking in the university campus, the wharves, and the curve of the river toward the sea. The bridge is a reasonable piece of interwar engineering, though not a match for the spectacular spans at Newcastle.
Alongside the road bridge, the older railway bridge can be seen swinging open occasionally to allow river traffic. Walking across the road bridge — a five-minute stroll — gives the best general view of the riverside and is the natural route between the city centre and the north bank attractions.