A SIX figure repair bill for the troubled Transporter Bridge has been rubber stamped after the structure was branded a “death trap”.

More than £3m of repairs and maintenance will be required at the Middlesbrough structure in the next decade before leaders decide whether to retire it from carrying passengers.

A damning probe has found “passive and ineffective” management has dogged the 109-year-old bridge in recent years.

Council leaders in Middlesbrough agreed £655,000 of urgent repairs at a meeting on Tuesday (December 22).

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston told executive colleagues the work was much needed to make the structure safe.

The independent mayor said: “It is a life or death hazard – stuff falls from it and that could kill people and cause huge damage to other structures.

“The bridge and the town have been let down in the past – whether it was the fault of the consultants, engineers or politicians I don’t know.

“Despite the great efforts of council staff and millions being spent on it in recent years, the bridge is a death trap.”

Last week, councillors heard how a worker narrowly avoided being killed by a falling piece of the Transporter in 2018.

The GMB union has strongly criticised Middlesbrough Council – saying its members had flagged up how it was in a “dangerous state of repair” for years.

A consultation on what should happen next was also given the green light for launch.

One option on the table is to convert the Grade II8 listed bridge into a leisure attraction – either with or without its gondola.

This would cost an extra £1.5m to £2.6m in the next decade – giving an estimated total of between £4.8m and just under £6m.

The more expensive option would be to keep the Transporter carrying passengers at peak times at a cost of between £5.3m and £7.3m with extra repairs to running rails, support cables and metalwork.

This plan would see the bridge carry traffic and people between 7.15am and 9.15am, and 3.30pm until 5.45pm from Monday to Friday – with enhanced education facilities also in the vision.

Whichever option is chosen, £3m of work will be required in the next decade – with £2.6m earmarked to repaint the bridge twice in the next six years.

Meanwhile, a task force to steer the future of the Transporter has been formed.

The working group will be led by Teesside historian Tosh Warwick to help gather views on what should happen next.

Mr Preston said people could apply to get involved.

He added: “We really want the public, people who work and live in Middlesbrough and people passionate about the bridge to get involved and play a role.

“That can be informally with comments for the consultation, or getting involved in this working group – or submitting ideas to them.”