We finished upgrading High Level Bridge in Newcastle in July. It was a year-long job that needed careful prep and work – and will lead to smoother and more reliable journeys.
Find out more about it in numbers …
1st
The High Level Bridge is the world’s first bridge to carry the railway and road. The double-decker bridge was designed to carry the railway above rather than besides the road to keep the width – and costs – low.
175
The Victorian bridge’s age. It needs regular and careful maintenance as an important and well-used travel link between Gateshead and Newcastle. We took extra care during the upgrade because of the bridge’s Grade I status which recognises its special architectural and historic interest.
£5.2m
Our investment in the upgrade. We planned our work so your train services kept running as normal throughout. Though sometimes we had to close the road and walkways to do our jobs on there.
460
The tonnes of scaffolding we installed for the repairs. We had to hang a complex system of scaffolding from the bottom without it interfering with the original, historic ironwork.
3,300
The litres of paint we used across 283 structural beams that hold up the road and pedestrian decks. We grit-blasted and painted the beams to stop corrosion from weakening them.
2.6
The kilometres of road we waterproofed and repaired the drainage on. This will help protect the newly refurbished beams below. We also re-surfaced the carriageway to give you smoother rides when walking or cycling across.
1849
The year the bridge first opened. It was designed by one of the great mavericks of the railway, Robert Stephenson. Today, it’s the oldest of the seven bridges crossing the River Tyne. Our repairs have strengthened the bridge while preserving its historical significance for generations to come.
