Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah wants the bridge to be swinging again by its 150th anniversary in 2026, but repairing its Victorian mechanisms will be a complex task reports Chronicle Live.
image for illustration: taken by Tagishsimon (14th August 2004) CC BY-SA 3.0
Chronicle Live writes:
A new mission has been launched to finally get Tyneside’s Swing Bridge swinging again – but bosses warn that an answer to its long-standing problems “won’t be found quickly”.
It is almost four years since the famous bridge was last able to swing open, since when there have been serious worries about its future operation due to major mechanical issues. Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah has led the calls to protect the iconic structure so that it can keep swinging for decades to come and is now pushing for it to be fixed in time for its 150th anniversary in 2026….
The grade II* listed crossing… enthusiasts were left disappointed during a maritime festival in summer 2021 when an attempt to have it rotate resulted in the bridge jamming shut. Ms Onwurah said that the Swing Bridge is “an icon of our history and needs to be a part of our future”….
She added: “We are talking millions of pounds….
But our industrial history, which is particularly important in our region, is something that I don’t think we place enough value on.”
