2025 restoration programme set out

April 2024 saw the restoration of the iconic Tyne Bridge get underway. Since being on site, the teams have made good progress as part of the multi-million-pound project to restore the North East icon to its former glory.

Eight months into the project has seen work nearing completion within the scaffolding adjacent to the Gateshead Tower, where grit blasting has removed 96 years of previous paint coatings, and the steelwork has been cleaned, repaired where required, and repainted in its distinctive Hollybush green, which was first unveiled in October. The final repairs and painting in this section will be complete by February, with the scaffolding completely removed in the Spring.

Work moved on to the Newcastle side in August, as scaffolding was erected under the arch adjacent to the Newcastle tower, in preparation for restoration works to begin on the next phase in January 2025.

To facilitate this, there will be four overnight closures on the Newcastle Quayside, from 8pm until 6am on the 7 to 10 January as large-scale equipment arrives on site.

As with the Gateshead works, the scaffold is fully encapsulated for teams to begin the mammoth task of cleaning, grit blasting and steelwork repairs before the final stages of painting can take place. 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 to the planned works, installation of scaffolding commenced earlier than programmed to 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 readiness for critical works to 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, which will see a change in traffic management set up to accommodate the next phase of repairs. Traffic will still operate with one lane in each direction for the protection of 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.”

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.”

Thorough investigations have identified that more than 1,000 repairs need to be carried out to preserve the landmark for future generations, this involves steel, concrete, stonework and masonry repairs, drainage improvements, bridge deck waterproofing, resurfacing, parapet protection and bridge joint replacement, as well as painting.

Over the four-year programme, approximately 20 phases of the iconic structure will be clad in scaffolding to allow repairs and surface blasting to be undertaken before the bridge can be painted which means passers-by won't always be able to see what is happening until the scaffold 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.