Listed landmark Transporter Bridge has been shut since 2019 because of safety fears

A team featuring Bam and AtkinsRéalis has been appointed to carry out work on a plan to reopen the grade II* listed Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough.

The landmark is one of the largest surving examples of its kind but has been shut since 2019 because of structural and safety concerns.

The bridge, which spans the River Tees between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, has long been a feature of the region’s skyline after opening in 1911.

bam

The bridge has been shut since 2019 because of safety issues

Stretching 260m across the river and standing 69m tall, the structure is recognised as an important achievement in British engineering and a symbol of Teesside’s industrial heritage.

Bam and AtkinsRéalis will now carry out detailed testing and trials over the next year in order to develop a restoration proposal and how much it will cost.

Bam social infrastructure director Gareth Farrier said: “The Transporter Bridge is an iconic symbol of Middlesbrough and the wider North East, representing the region’s proud industrial and engineering heritage.”

Unlike a conventional bridge, the Transporter uses a suspended gondola to carry vehicles and pedestrians across the river, allowing ships to pass beneath its elevated steel structure without obstruction.

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