THE closure of the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle is set to cause chaos for members of the public after the historic structure is set to undergo renovations later this year.
Through overnight closures, engineers will conduct a full inspection of the rusted and icon bridge to investigate what state it is in.
The project, which will see the famous crossing closed from 10pm to 6am from 13 June to 1 July, comes after the city council require the work before the government will sign off funding for a £41m initiative to restore the bridge to its former glory and refurbish the Central Motorway.
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As part of the scheme, several roads underneath the bridge on the Newcastle Quayside are also due to be affected by the works - with closures due between May 16 and June 10 on Quayside, Lombard Street, Queen Street, and Akenside Hill from 8pm to 6am.
The Tyne Bridge has not had any major maintenance for two decades and its refurbishment has been at the top of council officials' to do list for years.
Around 70,000 vehicles cross the Tyne Bridge each day and it has been feared that a failure to carry out essential maintenance could force transport chiefs to close it to all traffic aside from buses.
The DfT is expected to put around £35m towards the restoration scheme, with the remainder coming from Newcastle and Gateshead councils.
During the latest upgrade, it would see the Tyne Bridge undergo repainting, resurfacing the road, steelwork and concrete repairs, stonework and masonry fixes, waterproofing, and bridge joint replacement, and more.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: "We submitted a bid for £41.4 million to Government which, if approved, will enable a four-year maintenance programme for the Tyne Bridge and the Central Motorway to go ahead.
"As part of the funding process, we are required to carry out some initial works on the Tyne Bridge.
"This includes a full inspection of the bridge, so we can assess its condition and the scale of works required to finalise the costings and project plans to fully restore and refurbish this major structure. This needs to be completed ahead of funding being approved.
"As we need to inspect the entire span of the bridge, overnight closures may be required on the bridge and roads underneath it, so engineers can complete this work safely.
"Details on the programming are being finalised."
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