Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge to remain closed 'until September'

The bridge connects Middlesbrough and Port Clarence

Middlesbrough's Transporter Bridge is to remain closed until at least September as engineers assess the structural repairs needed.

The Grade II-listed structure shut in July and was due to reopen in March.

Councillor Dennis McCabe said it had "become clear the bridge cannot continue to run without significant repair work and investment".

The bridge, which first opened in 1911, is the only one of its type still operating in England.

Middlesbrough Council said a full survey would be conducted over the coming months.

Work undertaken last summer "revealed problems with the bridge's struts, and subsequently the need for a detailed review of its structural integrity, foundations and gondola operation", the authority added.

Mr McCabe, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "The Transporter Bridge is a truly historic structure that has been in almost constant operation for well over a century. That takes its toll.

"It is therefore unavoidable that the Transporter should remain closed while a full structural assessment is undertaken, and we have a clear picture of the options available to us."