The number of repairs needed to restore the Tyne Bridge to its former glory has more than doubled, engineers have discovered.
Teams working to fully refurbish the North East landmark in time for its 100th anniversary in 2028 say that they have encountered a “significantly increased” number of problems on the grade II* listed crossing.
When the restoration work began in 2024, it was estimated that around 1,000 separate repairs would be required – including steelwork, concrete, masonry, waterproofing, and drainage improvements, as well as a full repaint.
But, 20 months into the project, that predicted total has jumped to more than 2,000 after the bridge was found to be in a more dilapidated condition than was previously realised.
Newcastle City Council said that the scale of the issues “could not be detected” before contractors Esh began their work.
However, officials said they were now “confident that the majority of repairs have been identified” and that their costs will be covered by funding already secured – which was bolstered by confirmation of a promised extra £6.3 million earlier this year.
Repairs are still on track
According to a report that will be presented to councillors next week, the Tyne Bridge restoration is still expected to conclude in summer 2028. That would be just in time for its centenary celebrations in the October of that year.
The total funding package for the bridge’s restoration now stands at £38.9 million – made up of grant money from the Department for Transport (DfT), around £5 million put in by Newcastle and Gateshead councils, and the £6.3 million confirmed by North East mayor Kim McGuinness this June. A £9 million set of repairs to Newcastle’s Central Motorway also part of the original funding for the project from the DfT, which it has been confirmed are not affected by the growing cost of the bridge works.
Asked what would happen if future investigations on the Tyne Bridge reveal even more repairs are required, a spokesperson for Newcastle City Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have carried out extensive investigations and we are confident that the majority of repairs have been identified and these are covered by the additional £6.3m announced by the North East Combined Authority earlier this year.
“As with any project of this scale it is not unusual for additional work to be required and, while we believe we have identified most issues, we will continue to monitor the project as the restoration progresses.”
One fourth of restoration done
It was announced last month that 25% of the bridge restoration has now been completed – with work finished on sections around the two towers on either side of the Tyne.
Over the next couple of years, the repairs will move gradually up the Tyne Bridge’s famous archway.
A report published ahead of a meeting of the two council’s Joint Bridges Committee next week states: “Over the four-year programme, approximately 20 phases on the bridge will be fully enclosed in scaffolding to allow safe access for grit blasting, repairs, and painting. Consequently, much of the restoration will not be visible until the scaffold is removed. Pre commencement investigations had identified 1,000 repairs were required to preserve the landmark for future generations.
This included steel, concrete, stonework and masonry repairs, drainage improvements, bridge deck waterproofing, resurfacing, parapet protection, bridge joint replacement, and painting. Since commencing the works and fully cleaning and grit basting the structure the number of repairs has significantly increased to over 2,000, many of which could not be detected prior to the access and grit blasting works being carried out.
“Progress on the bridge works have gone well and despite additional repairs being required, by increasing resources, the contractor has been able to remain on programme.”
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