The government originally pledged tens of millions of pounds to help repair Newcastle’s beloved Tyne Bridge way back in 2022. Now, after a fair amount of waiting around, the funding for the Grade-II listed structure has officially been handed over.
A total of £35.2 million from the Department for Transport has gone towards the project, which will reportedly cost £41.4m overall. The UK roads minister Guy Opperman said that the makeover will allow the bridge to ‘shine proudly as one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks’.
The much-needed repairs will include a full repaint, plus fixes to the bridge’s steelwork, concrete, masonry, drainage and street lighting. Some initial works started in autumn 2023, but the bulk of the work has had to wait on funding to be confirmed. It will be the crossing's first major maintenance work since 2001.
Two of the Tyne Bridge’s four lanes will have to be closed for up to four years and, because of the delay in funding, councillors have warned that the bridge may not be fully ready in time for its centenary celebrations in 2028.
The work will also mean that the structure’s feathered residents might have to be put up in temporary bird hotels. Kittiwakes, small seabirds, have been nesting on the bridge for over 60 years and a survey in 2022 found that there were around 900 active kittiwake nests there.
It will all be worth it though. Apparently the renovations will generate £90 million in economic benefits for the North East. Kerching!
Renos and revamps
At Time Out we like to keep an eye on all the major makeovers that are giving UK towns and cities a new lease of life. The spectacular work done to this historical town hall in Rochdale is one of the most recent examples. And there’s a bunch of others we’re looking forward to seeing the results of. Norwich Castle is due to reveal its new look in the summer, Manchester’s Lower Campfield Market is getting a £17.5 revamp, a historic swimming pool in Birmingham is being upgraded and this beloved seaside landmark in Devon will also be returned to its former glory.
Did you see that these are officially Britain’s best artisan bakeries?
Plus: this English town hall has had a spectacular glow-up.
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