First new green paint on the Tyne Bridge

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02 October 2024

A major milestone has been reached on the Tyne Bridge multi-million pound restoration programme as the first section of green paint is ready to be revealed.

Within the encapsulated scaffold adjacent to the Gateshead tower, the steelwork has been cleaned before being grit blasted to remove over 96 years of previous paint coatings, including lead-based paint.

Steelwork repairs have then been undertaken and the application of the new three-coat paint system is well underway, with the first section of green paint on the parapet and underside of the bridge deck now complete.

Due to its Grade II* listed status, the paint colour being used is a British Standard 4800 colour referenced 14C39 called 'Hollybush'. This is as close to the original colour as possible.

The new paint system has been chosen for its durability, UV resistance, protective and colour retention qualities, and its resistance to the harsh atmospheric environment of the bridge, sitting above a tidal river and subject to the winds of the Tyne Valley gorge. It should give protection to the bridge for the next 30 years before major repainting is required.

The scaffolding around the Gateshead tower will gradually be dismantled from this month, and the public will soon begin to see the major transformation which has taken place. At the same time, the scaffold around the Newcastle tower will continue to rise, with tunnels for vehicle traffic and pedestrians and cyclists already in place to keep access to the Quayside open while the restoration work progresses above.

Neil Wilkinson, interim service director for Climate Change, Compliance, Planning and Transport at Gateshead Council, said: "It's fantastic to see this rich green shade of paint back on the bridge, bringing it back to its best.

"Everyone knows what the Tyne Bridge means to this area, and it's going to be great for people to see the new paint as they travel back and forth, to understand what the finished restoration will look like."

Councillor Karen Kilgour, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: "This is a really exciting time for the project with the first coat of green paint being applied. It truly is a remarkable and welcome transformation seeing this much-loved icon being restored to its former glory.

"Much of the transformation has had to be kept away from the public behind the scaffolding as almost 100 years' worth of old and defective paint, including lead-based paint, has had to be grit blasted off back to the original steel. The steel has been repaired and then repainted, as close as possible to the original green, and soon the public will be able to see the progress made as we begin to remove the scaffolding on the Gateshead tower.

"This has been a real labour of love for all involved in this major scheme and the teams have worked non-stop since the project got underway this April.

"It will be a proud day when the restoration is complete, and we see the bridge shining proudly once again in the Tyneside skyline."

Twelve platforms of scaffolding have been erected around the Gateshead tower to allow restoration work and painting to take place. As work on each floor is complete, sections of the scaffold will be removed, revealing the newly refurbished and painted sections of the bridge. Each coat is spray painted, with additional brush-applied 'stripe' coats to the edges and rivets. For the entire restoration, 139,400 litres of paint will be used - enough to fill 850 beer barrels.

Esh Construction is carrying out the restoration on behalf of Newcastle and Gateshead Councils. Esh's Chief Executive, Andy Radcliffe, said: "The work going on behind the scenes is significant, with more than 400 tonnes of spent grit and paint dust created so far. The team are working in cramped conditions both within the Gateshead scaffolding and within the bridge deck void under the footway to safely restore this important structure so it's a proud day to showcase the fruits of their labour with the first section of green paint now complete."

When the Tyne Bridge was constructed in the 1920s, Dorman Long who constructed the bridge invited paint suppliers to propose the paint system for the bridge. The Tyne Bridge was originally painted with three coats of 'special paint' supplied by J Dampney and Co of Gateshead. The outer coat was Dampney's Superlative Middle Green.

Dampney also provided paint for many other bridges painted at this time. At the time it was proposed the bridge would be painted every five years.

The Tyne Bridge remained painted green until 1961 when the Newcastle Corporation decided to paint the bridge "Persian blue" (with ash grey, crimson red and Wedgewood blue detailing) to match the branding colours of the Corporation.

However, it returned to green when it was repainted in 1985 to match its original colour. At that time, the paint colour chosen was the British Standard BS4800, 14C39, which is a colour as close to the original as possible. It has remained this colour ever since.

The last painting of the Tyne Bridge was in early 2000. At that time, the paint was expected to last 18-20 years, however the green paint has greatly faded and there are visible signs of corrosion which will be repaired as the four-year programme fully restores the bridge back to its former glory.

Thorough investigations have outlined that more than 1,000 repairs need to be carried out to preserve the landmark for future generations, this involves steel, concrete, stonework and masonry repairs, drainage improvements, bridge deck waterproofing, resurfacing, parapet protection and bridge joint replacement, as well as a full paint job.

Over the four-year £32 million programme, various sections of the iconic structure will be clad in scaffolding as work progresses which means passers-by won't be able to see what is happening until the scaffold is removed.

To deliver the repairs and strengthening safely, the scaffold will be installed over approximately 20 phases to maintain the integrity of the structure's load capacity, while keeping the road and footpaths open to traffic and pedestrians throughout the project. These loading constraints result in the programme to complete the restoration being across four years.

Operatives are currently working within the tight confines of the 1.5m high bridge deck void, which is under the footway, where a full clean-up operation to remove dirt, rust and pigeon guano has been delivered. This provides a safe working environment for essential structural repairs to be carried out.

The four-year programme is expected to be complete in Summer 2028, ahead of the bridge's centenary in October 2028.

The Tyne Bridge restoration is funded by the UK Government, as well as monies from both Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.