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The Queen arrives to open the bridge

Work on the Humber Bridge began in July 1972 It was officially opened by the Queen on 17th July 1981. It spans the Humber between, Barton-on-Humber on the south bank and Hessle on the North Bank. Although the Queen opened the bridge in July, it had been open to traffic since 24th June of the same year.

We've recorded some people talking about what they recall about the building of the Humber Bridge which was opened in 1981. Have a listen to their stories told in their own way using our audio links on this page.

John Jackson from New Waltham has worked on a number of local construction projects and is amazed by the amazing feat of engineering required to build a bridge of its size.

Dressing up to celebrate the opening

Neville Wright was employed at the Barton end of the bridge and was responsible for security during the construction phase. It was his job to ensure that people didn't get themselves into danger by going onto the building site.

Arnold Drury worked on the building of the bridge and recalls the dramatic events of when things didn't go quite according to plan.

Les Anderson was away in the forces when the bridge was being built and recalls how shocked he was by the impact the bridge made on the estuary landscape and suggests people in the area don't appreciate what a marvel they have on their doorstep.