Plans to build the UK’s tallest bridge in Sunderland have been given a go-ahead after the Sunderland City Council agreed to submit a planning application by this year end.

The £133m, 336m long cable-stayed bridge would stand 180m above the River Wear, making it higher than the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in Dartford, the Humber Bridge and both Severn crossing bridges.

The bridge would link Castletown on the north side of the city to Pallion to the south.

A nine-month study for the design and viability of the project has already been carried out by structural engineering firm Techniker and architect Stephen Spence, who estimates the design life of the bridge to be 120 years.

The bridge would be funded with £98m from the Department for Transport and £23m from the council.

Work is expected to begin in 2012 and finish by 2014.