‘If this had been in London it’d be sorted by now...’
THE rusting Tyne Bridge would have been fixed up long ago if it was in London, councillors have fumed – with a decision on funding for its muchneeded restoration still months away.
The deterioration of the famous crossing has been a hot topic on Tyneside for years, with Newcastle and Gateshead councils in desperate need of government cash to renovate the bridge in time for its centenary in 2028.
In October, an £18.5m levellingup bid to pay for a massive programme of overdue maintenance on the Grade II* listed landmark was omitted from Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget.
That has left local transport officials pinning their hopes on a separate £40m bid to restore both the bridge and the entire Central Motorway, which has been sat with the Department for Transport for more than two years.
The absence of any major repairs for a full two decades has left the North East icon in an embarrassing state of decay, while there have also been warnings that further delays to the works could soon mean it is no longer safe for 70,000 vehicles to cross it each day – potentially leading to traffic restrictions being imposed.
At a meeting of Newcastle and Gateshead councils’ Joint Bridges Committee on Monday, councillors were told that an indication of whether government will pay for the restoration was now expected “soon after” costing figures are submitted in the spring.
Newcastle Labour councillor John-Paul Stephenson, the committee’s chair, said: “We all know the appalling state of it, the rust, the peeling paint. It is not what we want to see for such an iconic structure in our region.
“It is not just about the transport infrastructure, it is a major symbol that contributes to our cultural, tourism offer. If this had been in London then it would have been sorted by now. But because it is up here in the North it has been allowed to get into the state it is in, it’s despicable.”
Liberal Democrat Pauline Allen asked if the corrosion of the bridge’s steelwork and possible falling debris now posed a safety threat and called for a reassurance that the two councils were “fully investigating” alternative funding in case the remaining bid to the Government, put forward by Transport for the North to the Department for Transport’s Major Road Network in 2019, is unsuccessful.
The Newcastle councillor added: “I agree that if it had been down south then it would have been sorted. I get very frustrated that we get forgotten about in the North East. My main concern is the safety of all of us who live in, work in, and use this area.”
Alastair Swan, Newcastle City Council’s principal engineer, said he had “no immediate concerns” about the structural integrity of the bridge and that officials were “constantly looking at what funding opportunities are out there”.
Gateshead Lib Dem Ian Patterson asked whether the bridge could be used as an advertising
location to help raise money.
The Tyne Bridge is adorned each year with a sign for the Great North Run and has also been used to promote major international events in Newcastle, like the Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup.
Coun Stephen Fairlie, who represents Callerton and Throckley, said: “Major cultural events are fine, but getting it sponsored by Greggs or something... it’s a step too far.”
It is not what we want to see for such an iconic structure John-Paul Stephenson