DfT releases £35.2M funding for Tyne Bridge restoration

Tyne Bridge is to undergo full restoration works following confirmation from the Department for Transport (DfT) that it will provide £35.2M of £41.4M needed for the works and for improvements to the central motorway in Newcastle.Local engineering firm Esh Construction is the main contractor in the project and has already started on preparatory works, including the creation of hotels for the protected species of bird called kittiwakes.The full programme includes steelwork repairs, full grit blasting and re-painting, concrete repairs, drainage improvements, stonework and masonry repairs, bridge deck waterproofing and resurfacing, parapet protection and bridge joint replacement. It is expected to take four years.Some of the initial preparatory works were funded by the two local councils – Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.Despite having made an initial pledge in the summer of 2022, start of the main works were delayed with Newcastle City Council and the DfT blaming each other for the late confirmation of funding .The restoration works will generate £90M in economics benefits for the north east of England, according to the government.Tyne Bridge is due to celebrate its 100 th anniversary in October 2028 and local councillors hope to see the restoration works completed in time.Gateshead Council said in a statement that Esh Construction “now have certainty” to set a timetable for the main phase of the project.The scheme will require two of the bridge’s four lanes of traffic to be shut to keep the workforce safe.Gateshead Council leader Cllr Martin Gannon, said: “We’re so glad to have this vital funding confirmed.“The Tyne Bridge is incredibly important to us all, symbolic of our strength and resilience, and recognised around the world.”Gannon called on local residents to “do their bit to help us minimise the disruption” that the restoration project will cause.“I’m confident the results of the programme will be worth the wait – it will be a proud day for everyone when our Tyne Bridge is restored to its rightful place as a shining icon of the region,” he concluded.Newcastle City Council leader Cllr Nick Kemp said: “The Tyne Bridge is the defining symbol of the North East which everyone in the region is incredibly proud of. As custodians of the Tyne Bridge, we’ve campaigned passionately and loudly on behalf of the people of our region to see this icon returned to its former glory.”Roads minister Guy Opperman MP described the funding announcement as “an historic day.”Like what you’ve read?