IN Brief:
- The Tyne Bridge will close from 23 October until 2 November while specialist scaffolding is installed.
- The temporary protection deck will enable restoration work on the main steel arch during 2027.
- Esh Construction is delivering the restoration, with the overall programme targeting completion before October 2028.
Newcastle City Council has confirmed a full closure of the Tyne Bridge from 11pm on Friday 23 October until 5am on Monday 2 November so that specialist scaffolding can be constructed above the carriageway before restoration of the main steel arch in 2027.
The ten day operation is a major enabling stage in the bridge’s restoration, delivered by Esh Construction for Newcastle and Gateshead councils. The temporary protection deck must span the road and footpaths while providing access for work on the arch, allowing traffic to pass below much of the subsequent restoration activity.
Installation above an operating road cannot proceed safely while vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists travel beneath the work area. The bridge will therefore close completely during the first phase, with signed diversions directing traffic onto other river crossings. No pedestrian or cycle route across the bridge will remain open during those ten days.
The timing has been chosen to coincide with the October half term, when local traffic is expected to be lighter. Drivers are being advised to avoid unnecessary journeys through central Newcastle and Gateshead and use alternatives including the A1, A19 Tyne Tunnel and Scotswood Bridge where appropriate.
With the carriageway clear, scaffold teams will establish independent legs along the eastern and western footpaths. Twin aluminium beams will then span across the road between these supports, providing the basis of the overhead platform. Scaffold boards and temporary lighting will complete the protection deck as it develops across the bridge.
The eastern scaffold arrangement will mirror installations already present on the western side. The construction method responds to the geometry of the existing crossing, using the footpath edges to support a working platform above the carriageway rather than relying on direct access from the road once traffic has returned.
By the time the bridge reopens on 2 November, the councils expect up to 70 per cent of the overhead protection deck to be in place. The remaining installation is planned through a series of weekday overnight vehicle closures lasting for up to four weeks in November. Their exact number will depend on progress and weather conditions.
Those overnight closures are expected to run from 8pm to 6am. Pedestrians and cyclists are expected to retain access during this later stage, unlike during the initial full closure. Existing traffic management arrangements will be reinstated when the bridge first reopens, before the residual scaffold installation proceeds.
Once the deck is installed, a 4.95 metre vehicle height restriction will apply. The clearance limit protects the temporary structure from vehicles too tall to pass beneath it. Newcastle City Council says the restriction will affect some larger heavy goods vehicles, while double decker buses will still be able to use the bridge.
The construction sequence therefore changes the crossing’s operating conditions twice: first through a complete closure to allow the principal scaffold installation, then through shorter overnight interruptions and a continuing height restriction once the protective structure is in use. The restrictions are intrinsic to the temporary works needed for the arch restoration.
The next permanent work package concerns the main steel arch, due to begin in early 2027. Its treatment follows restoration to lower parts of the bridge, including the underside of the river span, hangers, parapets and curved screen plates. Work on the eastern parapets is approaching completion, enabling the access arrangements to advance.
The restoration involves removing deteriorated coatings, undertaking necessary steelwork repairs and applying a specialist three coat protective paint system. The final finish will return the bridge to its distinctive Hollybush Green colour, chosen to remain close to its historic appearance.
Steelwork above a tidal river is exposed to moisture, changing weather and atmospheric conditions over a long operating life. The chosen coating system has been selected for durability, colour retention and resistance to ultraviolet exposure and the local environment. Preparation of the steel surface and access around the arch are essential parts of applying the system across the structure.
The Tyne Bridge is Grade II* listed, so work also has to preserve its recognised character. Its distinctive arch is visible across Tyneside, and restoration must address its structural and protective requirements without treating the listed structure as an ordinary replacement project.
The protection deck provides a separation between the repair operations and public traffic beneath. Without it, work around the main arch would require more extensive restrictions whenever tools, materials or personnel were operating above the carriageway. The temporary installation is intended to avoid that repeated disruption during the permanent repairs.
The overall scheme is financed by the UK Government, the North East Strategic Mayoral Authority and the councils of Newcastle and Gateshead. Esh Construction is delivering the work, with the programme scheduled to finish in time for the bridge’s centenary in October 2028.
From 23 October, the full bridge closure will allow scaffolding and the protection deck to be assembled above the carriageway. Limited overnight restrictions in November will support remaining installation work, leaving the structure prepared for the main arch restoration planned in 2027.
