Is Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge heading the same way as ill-fated Hammersmith crossing?
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Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes has warned of closures to the Tyne Bridge if funding for crucial repairs is not secured.
Forbes has warned that the bridge could be reserved for buses only if repairs are not carried out soon.
Repairs needed to the 1.6km road bridge and nearby dual carriageway include a new paint job, as well as repairs needed for the road deck, the towers, the stonework, the steelwork and the installation of a new drainage system.
The council is also seeking funding to install a cycle lane and upgrade the pedestrian crossings at either end of the bridge.
Newcastle City Council is waiting to hear back on its submission to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund after applications for other funding packages failed to provide the investment needed.
The application to the fund would secure £18M of the £36M needed to restore the bridge to its former glory.
Transport minister Andrew Stephenson has confirmed that funding part of the £36M bridge renovation project could be included in an upcoming round of major transport schemes to be funded by the government.
However, no commitment has been made, with previous attempts to secure government funding thwarted.
A decision on whether to provide funding to restore the bridge to its former glory will not be made until the summer, Stephenson added.
Forbes told the BBC that not getting funding from the Government “in the next year or so” would mean having to “take the bridge out of action for cars and leave it for buses only” in the coming years.
Newcastle City Council confirmed that it was one of a number “worst case scenarios” being discussed.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “The Tyne Bridge is more than an iconic landmark of the North East, it is also a major gateway to and from the city, used by around 70,000 vehicles a day.
“As well as the sizeable task of painting the bridge, it also requires significant repair and restoration work. As part of our contingency planning, we need to look at options to reduce the load on the bridge if we don’t secure funding.
“Restrictions would need to be in place and various scenarios are being looked at and would require further assessments and difficult decisions would need to be made.
“However, these are worst case scenarios and we remain hopeful that we will secure this funding.”
The situation with the Tyne Bridge echoes the ongoing Hammersmith Bridge saga.
A funding row between the council, TfL and government has held up any repairs, with the DfT only committing to foot one third of the £161M repair bill.
Department of Civil Engineering https://www.ibu.edu.ba/department-of-civil-engineering/
