Ferry crossing suspended for maintenance

TRAVELLERS WILL HAVE TO USE REPLACEMENT BUS

SHIELDS Ferry crossings will be suspended for a full week while work takes place on the ferry landing.

There will be no ferry services between Monday, February 25 and Sunday, March 3 as essential maintenance takes place on the South Shields side.

Nexus, the public body which owns and operates the Shields Ferry, will resume the ferry crossing at 6.45am on Monday, March 4.

The work is part of a £1.1m investment in maintenance and improvements to the historic river crossing over five years.

The maintenance work will involve finishing structural repairs on the South Shields landing.

While crossings are suspended, a half hourly replacement bus service will run between the North Shields and South Shields ferry landings via the Tyne Tunnel.

The bus from South Shields ferry landing will depart on the hour and on the half hour from the bus stop on Ferry Street outside the BT building.

The bus from North Shields ferry landing will also depart on the hour and on the half hour from the bus stop on New Quay, at the end of the ferry landing.

Customer services director at Nexus Huw Lewis, said: “The nature of the work we have to carry out means that we have to suspend services for seven days. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this will cause to our customers.

“During the closure we will have a frequent replacement bus service in operation for customers to get between North Shields and South Shields.

“It is vital work that we are doing and it will ensure that the ferry landings are structurally sound for many years to come.

“The work is on the access ramp to the landing itself, so it is not possible to operate a ferry service when this is closed to customers.

“There are no other suitable alternative ferry landing points on the South Shields side of the River Tyne for us to use.” Passengers have been warned that bikes are not allowed on the replacement bus service. Cyclists will need to use the Tyne Tunnel bike shuttle services, which departs every 30 minutes from the pedestrian tunnel entrances on Tyne Street in Jarrow and Tyne View Terrace in Howdon.

During the closure we will have a frequent replacement bus service in operation for customers Huw Lewis