A new bridge which carries Tyne and Wear Metro services in North Shields has been successfully installed as a £3 million project makes excellent progress. Tanners Bank Bridge was lowered into position on Wednesday 20th July with a 100 foot crane used for the delicate manoeuvre.
No trains have run between St James and Tynemouth since 16th July to allow this major project to take place and work will now continue with services not due to recommence until Saturday 30th July.
Stephen Psallidas, Project Manager, said: ““I am pleased to say the big task of lifting the new Tanners Bank bridge into place went well and it is now in place. The bridge has two decks, one for each Metro line, each weighing 70 tonnes, and both of them are now installed.
“It was a precision process to lower bridge decks of that size into the exact place so that they can carry Metro services on what is a key route between Newcastle and North Tyneside. The works will continue on the site as the teams put the tracks and overhead lines back in place ahead of the planned re-opening of the line on July 30.”
The former Tanners Bank Bridge had been in place for 160 years and was requiring more and more maintenance to keep it safe for Metro trains to travel across it. The new bridge not only brings modern safety standards but also allows improved height clearance which will allow better bus links and road freight access to North Shields Fish Quay.
The project is being funded through a £2.7 million grant from the Department for Transport’s Highways Challenge Fund, £300,000 from the Metro Asset Renewal Programme and £103,000 from North Tyneside Council. Work to install the bridge was carried out on behalf of Nexus by specialist engineering firm Taziker Industrial Ltd.