Linking the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and neighbouring town Gateshead, the Tyne Bridge is the most celebrated and most iconic of the seven bridges crossing the River Tyne in the central section often referred to as the NewcastleGateshead Quayside.
The Tyne Bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough who later went on to build Sydney Harbour Bridge, which opened three years later in 1932.
At the time of its construction the Tyne Bridge was the world's longest single span bridge and was officially opened on 10 October 1928 by King George V.
The Tyne Bridge's towers were built of Cornish granite and were originally designed as warehouses with five storeys. But the inner floors of the warehouses in the bridge's towers were never completed and, as a result, the storage areas were never used. Lifts for passengers and goods were built in the towers to provide access to the Quayside although they are no longer in use. The Tyne Bridge Towers are regularly opened to the public as part of Heritage Open Days, which take place in September each year.
The Tyne Bridge is probably most recognised for the annual Great North Run, as 52,000 runners pass over the bridge accompanied by a display from the Red Arrows.
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