Rare Historical Photos of Construction of the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne

Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge that spans the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. Mott, Hay, and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, designed the bridge, and Dorman Long & Co. built it. In their Ascot Landau, King George V and Queen Mary were the first to travel over the bridge, inaugurating it on 10 October 1928. The bridge was completed on 25 February 1928. Twenty thousand schoolchildren were given the day off to attend the opening ceremony. Movietone News recorded the King’s speech. It is ranked as the tenth tallest structure in the city and is one of the North East’s most iconic landmarks.

The Tyne Bridge’s towers are made of Cornish granite and were designed by local architect Robert Burns Dick as warehouses with five floors. Because of the uncompleted interior floors of the warehouses in the bridge’s towers, the storage areas were never used. A lift provided access to the Quayside for passengers and goods in the North Tower. Today, the lift is no longer in use. The South tower also included a lift shaft, but no lift was ever installed. The bridge’s design uses a parabolic arch.

Here are some historical photos that show the construction of Tyne Bridge from 1927 to October 1928.

#1 View of the Tyne Bridge in the very early stages of construction, looking from Newcastle upon Tyne over towards Gateshead, March 22, 1927

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#2 Work on the Tyne Bridge arch underway. The first sections of steelwork rise over Hillgate Quay, Gateshead, August 10, 1927

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#3 View of support mast and cables holding the Tyne Bridge in place as it is constructed, November 29, 1927

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#4 View through the girders from the Gateshead side of the Tyne Bridge to the Newcastle side, January 27, 1928

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#5 View of progress with the Tyne Bridge, February 2, 1928, showing the two halves getting closer together

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#6 View of the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead, February 2, 1928, showing the two halves getting closer together

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#7 View of the Newcastle side of the Tyne Bridge captured during its construction, February 2, 1928

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#8 View of the Tyne Bridge captured from the Newcastle side during its construction, February 15, 1928

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#9 Bracing between the Tyne Bridge arches, February 17, 1928

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#10 The Tyne Bridge arch is nearly complete as a girder is lowered into place above the River Tyne, February 23, 1928

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#11 An historic moment as the Newcastle and Gateshead sides of the Tyne Bridge meet, February 23, 1928

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#12 Flags fly above the Tyne Bridge to celebrate the completion of its arch, February 27, 1928

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#13 Construction staff of the Tyne bridge, employed by Dorman Long & Co. Ltd, March 2, 1928

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#14 View along the Tyne Bridge looking towards Newcastle, as work on its construction continues, March 6, 1928

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#15 View of the Tyne Bridge from Gateshead, as work on its construction continues, March 6, 1928

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#16 View of the Tyne Bridge from the High Level Bridge, March 6, 1928

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#17 View along the Tyne Bridge as work on its roadway continues, May 18, 1928

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#18 View along the Tyne Bridge towards Newcastle, as work continues on its roadway, May 22, 1928

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#19 View of the Tyne Bridge towers under construction, September 6, 1928

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#20 View of the Tyne Bridge towers under construction, September 19, 1928

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#21 View of the Tyne Bridge roadway nearing completion, September 25, 1928

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#22 View along the Tyne Bridge as it nears completion,, September 25, 1928

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#23 View of the Tyne Bridge, October 1, 1928

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#24 Steel erectors, riveters and crane drivers perch on a 20-ton capacity crane to mark the completion of the Tyne Bridge arch, February 23, 1928

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