THE latest addition to London's skyline is a sight that should bring a warm glow to every North-Easterner making a pilgrimage to the nation's capital.

At 133 metres high and weighing an impressive 1,750 tonnes, it is a heavyweight in every respect.

It will be seen by thousands of people every day, but few will know the history of the iconic arch marking the site of the new Wembley Stadium.

Gateshead has its Angel of the North, forged and constructed in Hartlepool, New York has its Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French, and now the Wembley Arch, built in Darlington, can be added to the roll-call of the world's great landmarks.

So big you could roll the London Eye beneath it with room to spare, the structure is testament to the skills that once made the North-East great.

Built at Cleveland Bridge, in Darlington, it was transported, section by section, 240 miles down the motorway before being reassembled on site.

The finishing work was carried out by about 180 Cleveland Bridge staff working at Wembley, and they will be there to see the arch raised.

A Cleveland Bridge spokeswoman said: "We did the fabrication of it and it has been a hugely technical job.

"We also had responsibility for transporting it from Darlington to London, and constructing each one of the capsules that join together to make the arch."

However, those hoping to marvel at the sight on their next visit south may be disappointed.

It will take about two months to raise the arch. It will be lifted five degrees at a time - and only at weekends to allow construction on the rest of the site to continue during the week.

Football Association spokesman Nick Barron said: "The arch is going to be a landmark for football and a landmark for London."

The 315m-long steel structure will become the longest single roof design in the world, supporting the weight of the north roof and 60 per cent of the weight of the southern roof.

This will allow retraction of the southern roof to allow light and air on to the pitch and ensuring there are no pillars in the new stadium that could obstruct the views of fans.

Cleveland Bridge staff are working alongside site co-ordinators Multiplex Constructions (UK) Ltd, one of the largest private companies in Australia, which delivered Stadium Australia for the 2000 Sydney Olympics

Paul Gandy, Multiplex UK managing director, said: "Multiplex has proven credentials, not least in building Stadium Australia, which hosted the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Multiplex is determined to bring the pride that Aussie fans have for Stadium Australia to those English supporters who will cheer their teams at Wembley."

The Wembley project has not been controversy-free, and it was only after a prolonged and, at times, painful two years following the last game played that it was finally decided that Wembley would be the location for the new national stadium.

It was in September 2002, when demolition of the old stadium began, that the Darlington company won a £60m share in the £757m stadium project.

The team that has created the stadium hopes the arch will become as famous as Wembley's twin towers, which to many represented the history that made the old stadium famous the world over.