BAM UK & Ireland Appointed to Develop Restoration Plan for Tees Transporter Bridge

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 12, Middlesbrough Borough Council appointed BAM UK & Ireland to take part in the next phase of restoration work on the Tees Transporter Bridge, with the project entering a 12-month early contractor involvement stage. BAM will work with engineering consultancy AtkinsRéalis to carry out detailed inspections and testing, with the latter undertaking the design work to develop a bridge restoration plan and associated cost estimates.

The Tees Transporter Bridge spans the River Tees in northeast England, connecting Middlesbrough and Port Clarence. Completed and opened to traffic in 1911, it is a Grade II* listed structure in the UK. The bridge has a total length of approximately 260 meters and tower heights of about 69 meters, making it one of the largest surviving transporter bridges in the world. A movable gondola is suspended from its steel structure to carry vehicles and pedestrians across the river, while vessels can pass beneath the bridge without interrupting river navigation.

The bridge has been closed since 2019 due to structural and safety issues. Previous structural inspections found that some components of the bridge were overstressed, and the upper span steel structure also required strengthening. After the 2019 closure, engineers carried out emergency repairs to missing or damaged steel components on the upper span and implemented drilling and bolting reinforcement at some failed weld locations. In 2022, Atkins was awarded the comprehensive structural inspection and assessment work for the bridge, covering the main bridge structure, winch system, gondola, cables and approach spans. The subsequent inspection results will be used to determine the engineering measures required to restore full operation of the bridge.

The 12-month early contractor involvement work will involve further testing and trials focused on the existing structural condition, combined with design work to compare different restoration options and their costs. Middlesbrough Borough Council also plans to seek public input during the development of the plan.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority approved £30 million in transport funding for the bridge in January 2024. Middlesbrough Borough Council stated that full restoration of the bridge will still require the corresponding investment to be secured. The project schedule previously published by the council indicates that the subsequent physical restoration works are expected to take 3 to 5 years.