All eyes on the River Tyne as bridge was lowered into place

It’s 25 years since the Gateshead Millennium Bridge arrived on the River Tyne writes nostalgia editor DAVID MORTON

- 

The Asian Hercules II carrying the Gateshead Millennium Bridge towards its Quayside destination, November 20, 2000. Inset, a recent view of the bridge, Baltic and Glasshouse

THE Tyne is justifiably famous for its bridges, and 25 years ago, another structure was added to its iconic array of river crossings ~ the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Linking Newcastle and Gateshead, it joined a distinguished lineup: the High Level Bridge (1849), Swing Bridge (1876), King Edward VII Railway Bridge (1906), Tyne Bridge (1928), Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge (1981) and Redheugh Bridge (1983).

On a pleasant autumn November day in 2000, the gleaming new bridge was spectacularly delivered to the Quayside by the giant floating crane Asian Hercules II and painstakingly lowered into place as thousands of spectators looked on.