In April 2024, the restoration of the iconic Tyne Bridge began. Since then, the teams have made significant progress on the multi-million-pound project aimed at restoring this North East landmark to its former glory.
Eight months into the project, work is nearing completion within the scaffolding adjacent to the Gateshead Tower. Here, grit blasting has removed 96 years of previous paint coatings, and the steelwork has been cleaned, repaired where necessary, and repainted in its distinctive Hollybush green, first unveiled in October. The final repairs and painting in this section will be completed by February, with the scaffolding fully removed in the Spring.
In August, work moved to the Newcastle side, where scaffolding was erected under the arch adjacent to the Newcastle tower, preparing for restoration works to begin on the next phase in January 2025. As with the Gateshead works, the scaffold is fully encapsulated, allowing teams to undertake the extensive tasks of cleaning, grit blasting, and steelwork repairs before the final stages of painting. The works adjacent to the Newcastle tower are scheduled to be completed by Autumn 2025, before moving on to the main bridge arch.
Following a resequencing of the planned works, scaffolding installation commenced earlier than scheduled on the underdeck of the main deck structure. Specialist scaffolders have been installing the temporary structure to the underside of the main carriageway across the Tyne between the two towers in preparation for critical works on the underdeck. This work will continue into the early part of the year, with final boarding out and encapsulation to allow the team to grit blast, repair, and paint the bridge deck soffit. Later in the year, work will begin on the main bridge arch with the installation of further scaffolding, which will go ‘up and over’ from the underdeck. The ‘up and overs’ will see scaffolding installed around the curved plates on the sides of the bridge and over the existing parapet railing.
Operatives have also been working within the tight confines of the service void on the main bridge deck on the eastern footway. Several key sections of heavily corroded steel have been replaced, and major repairs are being undertaken on three of the deck hangers. This work will switch to the western footway in the first quarter of 2025, necessitating a change in traffic management to accommodate the next phase of repairs. Traffic will continue to operate with one lane in each direction to protect the public and the workforce. The works on the western footway are scheduled to last through to Autumn.
Cllr Juna Sathian, cabinet member for Climate and Transport at Newcastle City Council, said:
“The restoration of our iconic Tyne Bridge is well underway and it was great to join the teams on site to see such progress being made.”
“The scale of the work required is huge and, while there is still a long way to go before we see our iconic bridge standing proudly over the Tyne once again, it has been wonderful to see the project get off to such a fantastic start in 2024. 2025 is shaping up to be another busy year on site, as restoration begins on the Newcastle quayside, and we will share further updates on these next stages of the project as this vital work continues.”
The four-year programme is expected to be completed in Summer 2028, ahead of the bridge’s centenary in October 2028.
The Tyne Bridge restoration is funded by the UK Government, as well as monies from both Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.
Image credit: iStock
