Metro passengers are in for a morning of disruption after a lorry hit a bridge over the A19.
Service is now suspended between Wallsend and North Shields in both directions following the incident on Friday morning.
Local buses are accepting tickets on the route while safety checks are carried out.
A Nexus spokesman said: "We have had a report a lorry has struck the Metro bridge over the A19 near the Tyne Tunnel.
"Our rules don’t let us operate over this bridge until an engineer has checked it is still safe.
"Someone is on the way now, and we hope to be clear to run again within the hour.”
Metro tickets can be used on Go North East bus services 1, 1A, 11, 11A & 310 between North Shields and Newcastle city centre.
