£40m refurbishment of Tyneside's High Level Bridge complete

A Network Rail project to restore a 19th Century engineering icon came to an end last month as Iain Coucher officially reopened the High Level Bridge between Newcastle and Gateshead on Friday 30 May.

The £40m project, which took seven years to complete, will result in improved journey times for passengers.

The High Level Bridge was built by engineer Robert Stephenson and opened by Queen Victoria in April 1849. Consisting of an upper deck for train traffic and a lower deck for road vehicles, the bridge is the oldest of those currently spanning the Tyne and is one of the UK's most historic railway structures.

At the peak of the project, more than 160 engineers and 30 managers worked on the bridge. More than 75,000 litres of paint have been used to return the bridge to its original colour, with 610 tonnes of new steel and 252 tonnes of new timber having been used to restore and strengthen the structure.

"Our engineers have had to develop a raft of new techniques to protect the bridge, whilst observing the restrictions imposed on them because it's a listed structure and making sure it could still be used,” said Iain Coucher. "The High Level Bridge is an entirely unique structure. Being made of cast iron it needed some serious TLC to ensure that it continues to serve the communities of Newcastle and Gateshead for many years to come.

“I'd like to congratulate everyone on a job well done under trying circumstances – and for keeping the trains running throughout!”