The rusting Tyne Bridge is in an even worse state of decay than was feared – and its much-needed restoration could take up to four years.
After a long-awaited £41m revamp of the beloved North East icon was confirmed earlier this year, investigations now have revealed that the famous crossing is in need of more extensive repairs than Tyneside council chiefs had anticipated. The disheartening discovery means that the massive refurbishment project could last twice as long as planned, taking up to four years rather than two.
And local authority leaders have confirmed that the extended restoration scheme will be more disruptive to the tens of thousands of drivers who cross the Tyne Bridge every day. The Grade II* listed landmark will have to be reduced to one lane of traffic in either direction during the works, potentially meaning years of congestion chaos on a key route into Newcastle city centre that carries 70,000 vehicles daily.
