Hopes for future as bridge added to risk register

The Transporter Bridge has been described as a Middlesbrough landmark, representing the area's industrial heritage

Middlesbrough's landmark Transporter Bridge has been added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

The Grade II* listed structure has been closed since 2019 over safety concerns, and several structural assessments have taken place over the years to monitor how the bridge reacts to wind, tide and temperature.

Engineers said it was at risk of "catastrophic collapse" in 2024, with the cost of repairs estimated at more than £60m.

Historian Dave Allan, who has written a book on history of the bridge, said its addition to the list was a positive step, adding: "Any attention we can bring to the Transporter Bridge's plight, as this is serious now, can only be a good thing."

He said: "We are in real danger of losing not just a bridge but the very symbol of Teesside and we can't let that happen, so something has to be done and I think it's great Historic England has taken this action."

It is the only site in north-east England to be added to the 2025 list, as 11 other sites have now been saved after Historic England awarded £744,514 in grants for repairs.

• Multiple heritage sites taken off 'at risk' register

These include Headland and Seaton Carew Conservation Areas, Hartlepool, St Cuthbert's Church in Darlington, and sections of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

The addition of the Transporter Bridge would help to "unlock funding from public bodies and private funders", Historic England said, as was seen when Heighington Station, the "world's oldest" railway station, was added in 2024.

It helped to publicise a crowdfunding campaign by the Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which drew in a significant donation from Hitachi, allowing the friends group to purchase the building.

The bridge closed in 2019 over safety concerns

First opened in 1911, the bridge's distinctive design with a travelling car or gondola suspended below its structure was chosen to avoid interfering with navigation.

Mr Allan said the Transporter Bridge was an "incredible piece of engineering when it is working order" and represented the area's industrial heritage.

"It is our iconic landmark, it is what we are recognised for just as Blackpool is recognised for its tower, Teesside and Middlesbrough is the Transporter Bridge."

While operational, it was the largest working transporter bridge in the world and could carry people and vehicles across the Tees in just 90 seconds between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, while continuing to allow boats to sail up and down the river.

Historian Dave Allan fears it might be too late to save Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge

It has featured in many films and TV programmes, including 1980s BBC drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and has recently been used as a site for extreme sports.

The Transporter Bridge is jointly owned by Middlesbrough and Stockton local authorities, with Middlesbrough Council taking responsibility for managing it.

In a statement in August, Middlesbrough Council said designs to repair the bridge were being developed, but funding would be required to carry out the work.

Conservative Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen told BBC Radio Tees in September building a replica bridge could cost significantly less, at £10-£20m.

Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald rejected that suggestion last month and said no price was too high to preserve the original.

Mr Allan said the bridge had been allowed to deteriorate, and said a replica was not acceptable when you had the "real thing".

He added the future should now focus on how to pull funding together as "we cannot let the very symbol of Teesside fall into the river".

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke called for "certainty around the funding" of the Transporter, as the work to repair and restore it would be "complex and costly".

"A considerable amount of work has gone into assessing the options open to us, and we remain committed to doing everything possible to restore the bridge," he said.