Inside the works to monitor the Transporter Bridge
The Transporter Bridge has arguably been the most recognisable landmark of the region since it opened in 1911, connecting both sides of the River Tees.
But the beloved structure has been closed since 2019 due to safety concerns, sparking fears it may never carry cars from Middlesbrough to Port Clarence again.Β
For many people, their only view of the Transporter is from driving along the A66, and at that distance, it might look as though the bridge has remained frozen in time since the day it shut.
But in reality, things are much different.Β
Since 2019, various inspections and assessments have been carried out and the landmark is now under a continuous monitoring programme.
This programme is not only ensuring issues requiring attention are addressed, but will also “help to inform the design phase of a long-term solution”.
This week, The Northern Echo had an exclusive chat with the engineers behind the project, who admitted it had its issues but remained hopeful the Transporter will move once again.
“It is very much the icon of Middlesbrough”, one engineer told the Echo, looking out over Teesside from 225ft in the air on a crisp morning this week.
“It is a standout. It’s something special. There are so few [bridges] that are this unique – and certainly this unique that are still functioning.
“It is an incredible piece of infrastructure. To stand on the fully functioning Transporter Bridge in 2032 would be incredible.”
He admitted that, like many structures of its age, it was facing its issues, noting how wind was arguably the biggest issue facing the bridge as it stands today.
“At the moment, things depend on how we can carry out the works and how best to undertake the work”, he explained.
“At 114 years old, like many other structures of its age, it is facing problems. And it was never designed for maintenance regimes that we have designed today.
βIt has always been our hope to have the bridge working as it did and that is the element where we likely get the most funding.”
There are currently more than 100 sensors tracking its movement, tilt angles, temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, and tidal conditions at key points.
Laser scanning techniques using drones have also been used to understand the difference between when it was designed and its true condition today.Β
Teams have scoured through more than 1,000 historical documents of the original designs of the bridge to help create accurate dimensional information to influence repairs.Β
But, despite all of the work ongoing to find an answer to its issues and long-term future, without funding, the plans proposed may not be able to go ahead.
‘Dangerous state’
The Transporter Bridge closed in the summer of 2019 and didn’t reopen after stretched cables on the gondola were uncovered.
But there had previously been issues with the structure, with work being carried out in 2012 after cracks were found in the rail tracks on the upper booms.
In 2018, there was even a βnear missβ when a support fell from the structure, landing beside a member of staff.
The year it closed, concerns it was in a “dangerous state” were raised by a whistleblower, who said wheels, ropes, and anchor points were “substantially out of date”.
In 2020, a principal detailed inspection was commissioned by the council, with specialist engineering companies using rope access techniques.
This highlighted some areas of concern which were carried forward into a structural assessment, carried out in 2023/24.
The assessment brought the safety of the bridge into question, with Atkins engineering and consulting firm saying it was considered to represent an immediate and unacceptable safety risk to the public.
It was suggested that an area around the site could even be cordoned off when winds were expected to exceed βacceptable limitsβ in case of βcatastrophic collapseβ.
Following the outcome of the assessment, continuous monitoring has been in place to provide essential information used to target the required repairs.
‘Cocktail of funding’ needed
Around Β£1.77m has been spent on emergency works, surveys, assessments, repairs, lighting and the installation of digital monitoring since its closure.
The costs have been shared between Middlesbrough Council, which takes the lead on managing the bridge, and Stockton Council, which is responsible for Newport Bridge.
Once preliminary design for the refurbishment is complete, the future of the bridge will then be in the hands of others, as the councils cannot afford to solely foot the bill.
The engineers said a βcocktail of fundingβ would be needed to save the bridge; and although they were unable to put a figure on it just yet, it will likely be north of the Β£30 million previously agreed by the Department for Transport (DfT).Β
The councils will only have access to this Β£30m fee if the bridge is brought back into use too – meaning if it were to remain as a landmark, they would not have this pot of cash to play with.Β
The report in 2024 suggested repairs could in fact cost Β£67m – more than double the Β£30m proposed – although the exact figure is not yet known.
βAll of these people in Whitehall will know what the state of play isβ, they said.
In the meantime, engineers say they remain focused on carrying out monitoring on the bridge and choosing a contractor to provide advice and support to the ongoing design work.
They said: βThe work we have been doing so far has been modelling the structure, looking at it in all different conditions. We have been digitally driving vehicles across.
βIt is not a love lost of contractors, there are 15 in the framework. These are national firms but a lot of them are local.β
A decision will be made on the contractor βin the new yearβ.Β
The work has also seen engineers travel an hour up to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle, where a multi-million-pound refurbishment is well underway, to get an insight into how the restoration project is going.
They said: βIf you look at other structures, like the Tyne Bridge. We have been up there recently looking at the work they have been doing and taking the lessons they have learnt.Β
βThey said I wish I spent a bit more on the investigation side.β
The engineers also wish to speak with the team behind Newportβs Transporter Bridge, which is currently undergoing a transformation of its own.Β
Council βremains fully committedβ
The Transporter Bridge is one of only 24 transporter bridges worldwide and the sixth-largest, with only 13 of these still standing to this day.
Construction first began in 1909, and it opened two years later with a total length of 850ft and a clearance below of 160ft.
It became a a key route for ships up the river, access that is still required to this day.
Changing river levels mean at times there could be just a metre between the top of the bridge and a passing boat.
It was awarded its listed status in 1985 and was given a Heritage plaque by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1993, with its visitor centre opening in 2000.
This year, the bridge was placed on the Heritage At Risk Register following consultation with Historic England, sparking further concerns over its future.
Many have argued that it must be restored and kept moving, as opposed to being turned into a stationary landmark.
Middlesbrough Council said it remains βfully committed to the Transporterβs preservation and restorationβ and that it was a “main priority” for the authority.
A preliminary design for the refurb is set to be completed in the middle of next year, with engineers saying they should then “have a much clearer idea of what can and canβt be done”.
It is this stage when a decision will be made whether to keep it as a working structure or to preserve it as a historic monument and visitor attraction.
The council then expects refurbishment works to begin in 2027, with repairs focusing on strengthening the towers, replacing back stay cables and other steelworks repairs.
It is hoped the work would be done by 2032 – 13 years after it closed to the public.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cook said the bridge was the βvery identity of Middlesbroughβ and a βpotent symbol to the world of our incredible industrial and engineering heritageβ.Β
He said: βWe take our responsibility to that legacy very seriously indeed, and no stone will be left unturned in our quest to preserve and restore one of the icons of the north east skyline.
“Like any structure over a century old, the Transporter is in need of a major overhaul and that work will be complex, lengthy and costly.Β
βWe are fully committed to the project, and will continue to work with stakeholders and partners regionally and nationally to secure the funding that will ensure the Transporter can be enjoyed for generations to come.β