Tyne Bridge Restoration Moves into Next Phase

A significant milestone has been reached in the multi-million-pound project that will restore and preserve England’s Grade II listed Tyne Bridge for future generations. Structural repairs and interventions on the bridge’s hangers – located within the eastern footway – are now complete, which will enable the complex program of works to move to the next phase.

The team behind the project has been working inside the bridge deck void since last April, where initially a full clean-up was completed to remove dirt, rust and nine tons of pigeon guano before further assessment, grit blasting, repairs and repainting could begin. Inspections in the 1.5-meter-high void revealed that essential repairs were needed to strengthen key supporting hangers that carry the weight of the road traffic, along with identifying the requirement to replace several sections of supporting steel bracing, which were heavily corroded beyond repair.

Achieving the latest milestone will allow restoration work to switch from the eastern to the western footway, and traffic management on the road will be switched to enable this next phase of repairs to start. This phase will replicate the same sequence of work already completed in the eastern footway. Traffic will continue to operate using one lane in each direction for the protection of the public and the workforce.

Elsewhere on the major civil engineering project, repair work and painting has been completed under the deck of the structure on the Gateshead quayside, within the scaffolding adjacent to the tower. Grit blasting has removed 96 years of previous paint coatings – up to 11 layers in total – and the steelwork has been cleaned and repaired where required before being painted.

Other steelwork repairs have been undertaken on the main structural members of the bridge within the Gateshead scaffold, which involved removal and replacement of several corroded supporting steel elements. A complex temporary works design had to be developed for each repair to allow the bridge’s load to bypass the structural members, making it safe to carry out the necessary repairs.

The scaffolding on the Gateshead quayside is being dismantled to reveal the major restoration work that has taken place over the last 11 months. Grit blasting has now commenced under the deck of the structure on the Newcastle quayside, within the encapsulated scaffolding.

Meanwhile, further in-depth investigations and cleaning works are being carried out to check the level of repairs required under the bridge deck, within the suspended underdeck scaffold, which has recently been installed.

The Tyne Bridge restoration is funded by the UK Government, as well as monies from both Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council and is being delivered by Esh Construction.