The millions of pounds needed to give the Tyne Bridge a much-needed facelift could finally be within reach - after a second source of potential funding was revealed.
Cash-strapped council bosses have long struggled to drum up the £20m needed to restore the iconic landmark, but now have a couple of possible lifelines.
The latest is a government fund of almost £350m announced last weekend to improve roads and surrounding infrastructure - including bridges - across the country.
Previous iterations of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Challenge Fund have awarded Newcastle £16m in the past five years, and this latest cash injection could be a crucial backup option if another bid to deliver the Tyne Bridge’s long-overdue renovation fails.
Last month, it was revealed that Newcastle and Gateshead councils were enlisting the support of Transport for the North (TfN) to put together a £40m proposal to fix up the Tyne Bridge and also carry out major maintenance along the length of the Central Motorway.
Civic centre officials say they are hopeful that their scheme will be included in a wide-ranging TfN bid proposal next week, but they could turn to the Challenge Fund if not.
The last major maintenance work on the 90-year-old crossing was carried out two decades ago and the paint used is now past its 18-year lifespan.
It was hoped that the overdue restoration would have started last year, but Newcastle and Gateshead councils pushed that back to 2020 at the earliest amid complaints that no government cash had been made available to bid for - until now.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “Those responding to our recent consultation on options to improve air quality made it clear that maintenance of our transport network was a key priority for them.
“We are continuing to work with our partners across the region to seek funding for the refurbishment of the Tyne Bridge and essential maintenance of the Central Motorway.
“This would help us to repair and restore the structure, as well as undertake the task of repainting the bridge, which is an iconic structure and a hugely significant part of our transport network.
“This is being coordinated by Transport for the North as part of a wider, joint funding bid on behalf of the north to government and we expect to find out shortly whether this element will be included in the final bid.
“This approach has been endorsed by the region’s Joint Transport Committee who continues to work on behalf of all its partners to deliver improvements to people’s day to day journeys.
“We will work with our neighbouring local authorities to consider what improvements would best meet the recently announced Challenge Fund’s criteria alongside other funding opportunities.”
The council is expected to make some bid to the Challenge Fund, whether for the Tyne Bridge or another highways project.
The DfT's £198m Challenge Fund will be open for bids from councils this year and next, followed by a £150m Pinch Point Fund in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Former transport secretary Chris Grayling said last week: “Local roads are the backbone of the transport network for drivers up and down the country, but we know that some aren’t up to the standard they need to be. Whether it’s congestion or quality, we need to empower local authorities to invest in these roads and make journeys safer and stress-free.
“That’s exactly what this funding will do – over four years we’re providing more than a third of a billion pounds to make sure local authorities have the cash they need to make this a reality.”
