Engineering specialist Spencer Group is to begin a preservation work to save the 200-year-old Union Chain Bridge between the Borders and England.
The historic chain suspension bridge over the River Tweed from Fishwick in Berwickshire to Horncliffe in Northumberland is the world’s oldest suspension bridge still carrying traffic.
Next month, Spencer Group has will begin to dismantle the bridge, refurbish the parts and rebuild it to mark its bicentenary.
The structure is a Grade A listed building in Scotland, a Grade I listed building in England, and is said to have inspired the design of the Clifton Suspension Bridge near Bristol.
With a single span of 449ft (137m), the Union Chain Bridge was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1820.
Spencer Group has been appointed by Northumberland County Council to restore, rather than replace, the existing suspension chains and use the same type of stone from nearby Swinton quarry to repair masonry work on its two towers.
Spencer Group managing director Gary Thornton said: “We’re delighted and honoured to have been selected to carry out such an important project. It’s both a pleasure and a privilege to have been given the responsibility to preserve this precious structure for future generations.
“We will be bringing many years of accumulated knowledge and expertise to this project, from working on iconic bridges across the UK and Europe.”
The project is expected to take 16 months to complete, during which drivers will be redirected via a short diversion. The work will increase the bridge's weight restriction from two tons to three.
Spencer Group has previously carried out refurbishment work on the Forth Bridge and Eskine Bridge.
Joe DiMauro, off-site Project Manager for Spencer Group, said: “The Union Chain Bridge was the first of its kind in the world when it was built and needs to be maintained for perpetuity because it is such an iconic structure.
“It has been in place for 200 years and this work will ensure it will remain for another 200. Our challenge is to make the bridge as good as new, while not changing its appearance and retaining the key original parts, such as the chains and links, that make it unique and of such historical importance.”
Funding has been supplied by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).
Northumberland County Councillor Glen Sanderson said: “This is a truly great project, which must be the largest and most ambitious cross-council joint endeavour ever.”
Councillor Gordon Edgar, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Roads and Infrastructure, said: “This is another hugely positive step forward for such an important project. We’re now looking forward to work starting as the next chapter of Union Chain Bridge’s unique history gets underway.”
