The truth behind the Transporter Bridge is as complex as you might imagine.
From the moment the bridge was erected across the River Tees back in 1911, the structure has been an icon of the region, symbolising Teesside's rich industrial heritage.
It's looked upon very fondly by those born and living in the area, so when it closed in 2019 over safety concerns, it sparked fears that cars may never be carried over the water again.
It's now been six years since the Transporter was closed, and in that time, the bridge has been branded an "imminent risk", added to the Heritage At Risk Register, and seen several promises from politicians to save it.
But away from the political battlefield, what is the truth behind the future of the 225ft-tall landmark and the ongoing works to save it?
The Transporter Bridge is jointly owned by Middlesbrough Council and Stockton Council, although Middlesbrough take the lead on managing it.
The bridge's closure may have came about due to safety concerns, but since then, Middlesbrough Council has worked with a number of stakeholders and partners to assess its condition and explore future maintenance and restoration options.
Around £1.77m has been spent since 2019 on emergency works, surveys, assessments, repairs, lighting and the installation of digital monitoring, with the costs shared between both local authorities.
Digital monitoring has been installed to keep track of the structure’s overall condition - using more than 100 sensors - and principal contractors will be appointed in the new year to draw up detailed designs for restoration.
Next year could be a milestone year for the bridge, with preliminary design options for strengthening and repair works expected by the middle of next year.
Then comes a major decision; should it be kept as a fully operating transporter bridge, or should it be turned into a static landmark?
The answer to the question will likely boil down to one thing: funding.
Transport funding
The future of the Transporter Bridge has remained a key talking point amongst politicians ever since its closure in 2019.
In November 2023, in the run up to the mayoral election, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen announced the Transporter had been saved.
As part of the near £1bn investment into transport from the government, from the scrapping of part of HS2, £30m was signed off to go towards fixing the bridge.
However, there is one caveat: the bridge has to be brought back into full working order as a transport asset for the funding pot to be made available.
Chris McEwan - deputy leader of Darlington Borough Council - also pledged to save the historic landmark when he took on Mr Houchen in the lead up to the election.
Speaking to The Northern Echo about his thoughts on the Transporter this month, Mr Houchen said: "We've made it very, very clear that the money we've got for transport must be used on transport.
“That £30m can only be released if the decision is taken by the council to bring it back into use as a transport asset.
“The Government has been very flexible with us on what we use that money for, but it has to be transport. The problem is, we know it's more expensive to bring it back into use than it is to turn into a monument.
“We don't know what those numbers are, but we know it is more expensive.”
Mr Houchen said he was last told it could cost more than £60m to bring it back into use, meaning there would still be more funding required to save it.
“There's still a short form. So who's paying for that? I assume the councils don't have the money squirrelled away somewhere to pay to restore the Transporter Bridge”, he said.
The final cost of bringing the bridge back into use is not yet known, as structural surveys remain ongoing.
War of words
Naturally, there are varying perspectives on how the Transporter is being managed and the options on the table for its future.
And this has sparked a fresh war of words between Lord Houchen and the council.
Mr Houchen criticised the authority when speaking with the Echo last week, claiming the council hoped the issues would "go away" or become "somebody else's problem in the future".
He argued that there “doesn't seem to be any energy or concern within the council to try and sort out” the Transporter and that it was almost as if the council was “kicking the can down the road and just hoping that nothing happens to it."
However, Middlesbrough Council strongly hit back.
A spokesperson said: “Middlesbrough Council is fully committed to the Transporter’s preservation and restoration, as clearly evidenced by the work undertaken to date.
“Since the bridge was closed in 2019 Middlesbrough Council has been engaged in an ongoing process of works to understand the condition of the bridge and start planning for the necessary works to bring it back into service.”
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said it was "interesting" that Mr Houchen was "lashing out at the council once again" but said again reiterated that it remains fully committed.
The council added that the Transporter remains a “main priority”, as it also does so for Historic England and Stockton Borough Council.
The council said: “The council actively manages the upkeep of the bridge in partnership with appointed design engineers, with ongoing comprehensive structural surveys ensuring issues requiring attention are addressed promptly.
“The survey findings will also help to inform the design phase of a long-term solution.”
However, not knowing the full state of the Transporter as it stands today is a concern for Mr Houchen: “I'm not scaring anybody because I don't know the answer to it, but we don't know whether it is structurally safe.
“I think it's unlikely, but in theory, it might be so unsafe that we might wake up the next day in the next 12 months and it's fallen over.”
He argued that the process could have been sped up by the council: “It shouldn't take a consultant that long to inspect a structure and then be able to report back on it.”
The council said that the ongoing comprehensive structural surveys "ensure issues requiring attention are addressed promptly" and that the findings will inform the design phase of a long-term solution.
The Transporter was brought back into the spotlight earlier this month when it was added to the Heritage At Risk Register following consultation with Historic England.
Lord Houchen said this was not a positive.
“It's a positive thing from securing funding to sort it. But the fact that it's got to this place is not right and should not be seen as a positive", he explained.
“I think we need to do all we can to keep it, but how that is done and in what form, you might as well ask me how long a piece of string is.
“If this was Tower Bridge in London, and they needed £10m because it was structurally unsound and historically and had raised a red flag, it’d be sorted almost immediately.
“People are rightly asking questions about what's happening with the Transporter Bridge and I'm frustrated that we don't have any answers to give to them.”
The council said it was “fully committed to transparency” and is happy to provide updates on key milestones, but has not been approached by the TVCA.
Middlesbrough Mayor: Council remains ‘fully committed’
A full statement from Mr Cooke said: “People will remember Lord Houchen claiming to have saved the Transporter, so it's interesting that he's now lashing out at the Council once again.
“Does his commitment stand? Only he knows.
“The Tees Transporter Bridge is part of the very identity of Middlesbrough, and is a potent symbol to the world of our incredible industrial and engineering heritage.
“We 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.
“We 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.”
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