Tyne Bridge 2025 restoration – latest updates as programme set out.

In April 2024, restoration efforts for the iconic Tyne Bridge commenced, marking the beginning of a significant multi-million-pound project aimed at revitalizing this North East landmark.

Eight months into the restoration, substantial progress has been achieved, particularly in the scaffolding surrounding the Gateshead Tower.

The team has successfully completed grit blasting, which has eliminated 96 years of accumulated paint. The steelwork has undergone thorough cleaning, necessary repairs, and received a fresh coat of its distinctive Hollybush green, first introduced in October.

Final repairs and painting in this section are expected to be completed by February, with the scaffolding scheduled for removal in the spring.

In August, efforts transitioned to the Newcastle side, where scaffolding has been erected beneath the arch adjacent to the Newcastle Tower in preparation for the next phase of restoration work, set to commence in January 2025.

To facilitate this process, four overnight closures of the Newcastle Quayside will take place from 8 PM to 6 AM between January 7 and 10.

These closures will occur between the junction with Lombard Street and the traffic signals at Sandhill to accommodate the arrival of large-scale equipment.

As with the work completed on the Gateshead side, the scaffolding on the Newcastle side is fully encapsulated, allowing the teams to undertake extensive cleaning, grit blasting, and steelwork repairs prior to the final painting stages.

Completion of the work adjacent to the Newcastle Tower is anticipated by Autumn 2025, before attention shifts to the main bridge arch.

In response to a resequencing of planned works, scaffolding installation beneath the main deck structure began ahead of schedule.

Specialist scaffolders have been setting up a temporary structure underneath the main carriageway across the Tyne, between the two towers, in preparation for critical works to the underdeck.’

This underdeck work is expected to continue into early 2024, with final boarding and encapsulation to allow for grit blasting, repairs, and painting of the bridge deck soffit.

Later in the year, operations will commence on the main bridge arch, involving the installation of additional scaffolding that will extend ‘up and over’ the underdeck.

This scaffolding will be positioned around the curved plates along the bridge’s sides and above the existing parapet railing.

Additionally, operatives have been addressing issues within the confined service void on the main bridge deck’s eastern footway. Significant progress has been made with the replacement of several key sections of heavily corroded steel and substantial repairs to three deck hangers.

Work is scheduled to transition to the western footway in the first quarter of 2025, prompting adjustments to traffic management to accommodate this next phase of repairs.

Traffic will continue to flow with one lane in each direction, ensuring the safety of both the public and the workforce, with expected completion of the western footway work by Autumn 2025.

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.”

Councillor John McElroy, cabinet member for the environment and transport at Gateshead Council, said: “Work is progressing well on the project and it’s great to see the contractors moving on to next phase of the bridge restoration.

“Recently, we have seen, up close, the difficult nature of the repairs for the team working on the bridge and they are doing a fantastic job in some challenging working conditions.

“We look forward to seeing the new paintwork, when the scaffolding gets removed.”

Comprehensive investigations have revealed that over 1,000 repairs are necessary to ensure the preservation of the landmark for future generations.

These repairs encompass a range of critical work, including steel, concrete, stonework, and masonry repairs; drainage enhancements; bridge deck waterproofing; resurfacing; parapet protection; bridge joint replacement; and painting.

Throughout the four-year program, approximately 20 phases of this iconic structure will be enveloped in scaffolding to facilitate the necessary repairs and surface blasting before painting can commence.

As a result, passers-by may not always be able to observe the ongoing work until the scaffolding is removed.

Esh Construction is delivering the project on behalf of both Newcastle and Gateshead councils. Steven Garrigan, Divisional Director at Esh, is overseeing the major restoration alongside the project team.

He added: “We are ready to hit the ground running in the new year and continue restoring the Tyne Bridge to preserve it for future generations. Alongside the main construction programme, we will continue to deliver a raft of social and economic value initiatives we committed too for the region as we work hard to make a difference in the local community.”

The four-year programme is expected to be complete 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.

Tyne Bridge 2025 restoration – latest updates as programme set out.