AFTER one of the world's biggest cranes inched up the Tyne to put her in place, she has made her first "blink" and allowed the first boat to sail underneath her magnificent arc.

Now, at last, the £22m Millennium Bridge is preparing for use by the public.

A massive party will be held in Gateshead and Newcastle to celebrate the event, which will include a high-tech multi-coloured lighting system.

Leading council officials are hoping the weekend-long party will boost their bid to become European City of Culture in 2008.

The bid suffered a blow earlier this summer when the Radio 1 dance festival the Love Parade was dropped at the last minute because of health and safety fears.

But Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council is hoping to prove it can stage a major party by the Tyne with a weekend of fun starting from Friday, September 14, to Monday, September 17.

On Friday at 8pm, the premiere of a new piece of music composed specially for the opening will co-incide with the switch-on of its computerised lighting system. On Saturday at 7.15pm, the BBC Proms in the Park will be held next to the bridge linked live to the Royal Albert Hall. On Sunday at 6.30pm, musicians will perform in Baltic Square, and on the opening day, Monday, pedestrians and cyclists will finally be allowed to cross.

A spokesman for the council said the bridge received £9.7m from the National Lottery Millennium Commission.