PORT of Tyne bosses will receive a Royal visit today for the official launch of a massive £100m investment programme.
Watched by about 100 guests, including Gazette editor John Szymanski, HRH the Duke of Gloucester will officially open the authority's refurbished Riverside Quay.
The ceremony marks a decade-long programme of reinvestment in Port of Tyne at Tyne Do
ck, South Shields, which has recently won several major accolades, including European Port of the Year.
Riverside Quay, the port's main operational quay at North Shields, has been extended by 180m to 754m, and deepened from 10.5m to 12.1m.
Meanwhile, the ambitious investment project has seen the main river channel from the piers deepened, giving the port the ability to handle panamax-class vessels.
A spokesman said: "The refurbishment of the port's Northumbrian Quay, and investment in passenger handling facilities, makes the port one of only five UK ports capable of handling cruise vessels up to 335m in length, and is the acknowledged major cruise port in North East England."
Today's launch will include the revival of the Lord Mayor's Barge Day.
* For the full story, don't miss tomorrow's Gazette, and log onto www.shieldsgazette.com for video footage of the day.The full article contains 208 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
