Work is well under way on constructing York's Millennium Bridge.

SHOW STEELERS: Above and right, workmen construct York's new Millennium bridge at Meldan's steel fabrication factory at Immingham, Humberside

The Evening Press tonight publishes the first pictures of the steelwork now being fabricated at Meldan's factory at Immingham on Humberside, following the switch of fabrication work from an Italian manufacturer.

The Millennium Bridge Trust has also announced that discussions have begun with the British Waterways Board and river users to agree on a date for a one-day closure of the River Ouse.

A number of possible dates in August and September are being discussed for the closure, needed to allow the 250-ton structure to be launched across the river and positioned on its foundations.

The bridge is expected to be ready for use within about four weeks of the launch.

The riverside foundations have been completed, and steel sections are due to be brought one-by-one to the riverbank at Hospital Fields Road during May, June and July for them to be assembled into position.

"The final welding of the arch and the launch across the river will be a technically complicated operation - conditions will have to be right," said a spokesman.

"It is not possible to predict until nearer the time the precise day of the launch, but we will give as much notice as we can. In any event, it will be a minimum of six weeks notice."

Trust secretary Paul Chesmore said the trust board had opted for a launch involving four winches rather than lifting the bridge into position with a very large crane, which would probably have involved a longer river closure with consequent disruption for the neighbourhood and river traffic.

Trust chairman Sir Donald Barron said it believed it would achieve its objective of opening the bridge within Millennium year.

Meanwhile, the highly-specialised task of creating a stainless steel arch for the bridge has also started. "Many of the parts that will make up the arch are being cut from a single sheet of the Duplex stainless steel which first has to be polished to achieve the beautiful finish that is required," said a spokesman.

"These sheets are about 20 metres long, and are probably the largest single sheets of this material ever polished in the UK."

see also 'Bridge takes shape'

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.