Quarter of Tyne Bridge repaired and repainted

The project is set to be completed on time, according to council bosses

A quarter of the Tyne Bridge's restoration work has now been completed, with scaffolding around the Newcastle tower being dismantled.

The Grade II* listed crossing has been undergoing a revamp since 2023, with sections on the Gateshead side of the bridge the first to be restored.

Work then moved over to the opposite side of the river, where more than 350 separate repairs have been carried out and 1,200 rivets replaced.

The underside of the bridge's main road deck has also been repainted, but will stay hidden behind scaffolding until next year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Council bosses have said the multimillion-pound maintenance project remained on schedule to be finished in time for the Tyne Bridge's 100th anniversary celebrations in October 2028.

Thousands of litres of paint have been used so far

The crossing is being repainted with a three-coat system that should last for the next 30 years after nearly a century worth of discoloured and peeling paint was removed from the bridge.

According to contractors Esh, more than 6,000 litres (1,320 gallons) of paint had been used so far.

John McElroy, cabinet member for the environment and transport at Gateshead Council, said it was "really important for people to see the new paint emerge from under the scaffolding".

"We can now get a real sense of what the completed restoration will do for the bridge – and the pride we will all feel to see it complete," McElroy said.

Juna Sathian, cabinet member for transport and climate at Newcastle City Council, added it was "great" to see the latest stage of the works, much of which had to be "kept behind the scenes in encapsulated scaffolding".

Work is now taking place on bridge's footway

Over the next couple of years, the repair works will move gradually up the Tyne Bridge's archway.

Maintenance work is now being carried out around the western footway on the bridge.

There are also overnight closures due this month to allow for the construction of a scaffolded footway on the eastern side.

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