OPINION
SUE HOUSTON OBE, NON-EXEC DIRECTOR AND CHAIR OF GOVERNORS Crossing the Tees on the Transporter Bridge is one of my enduring memories of going for days at the beach as a child. Getting there via this huge icon seemed like travelling to another country, crossing from what was then County Durham into North Yorkshire.
We have lost so much of our heritage in recent years and, although I’ m very aware of the economic arguments, could a replica really replace this feat of engineering and the historic and future value?
GARY DAWSON, CHAIRMAN, AV DAWSON The Transporter is a Teesside icon and its legacy must be preserved. Ironically, on a personal note, it shares its October 17 birthday with my late father, Maurice.
AV Dawson’ s Port of Middlesbrough looks out at the bridge. The fact is that its height from the river at 48.8m does limit some ships visiting our quayside. Not knowing all the engineering challenges and cost options, it’ s hard to give a considered opinion, but it’ s future as an operational bridge now seems unlikely and arguably unnecessary.
Could the original legs be left in situ and new lighter weight replica top section be installed, ideally a few metres higher? If hologram technology could scale to that size, that would be an interesting proposal! Either way, it is vital that commercial river traffic is accommodated during any related works.
CHRIS COOKE, ELECTED MAYOR, MIDDLESBROUGH The Transporter has been one the icons of the North-East skyline for more than a century, and one that is woven into the identity of this area and its rich industrial and engineering heritage. Like any structure of its age, it’ s showing signs of wear and tear, and the work to repair and restore it will be complex and costly.
A considerable amount of work has gone into assessing the options open to us, and we remain committed to doing everything possible to restore the bridge. I’ m grateful to Historic England for their ongoing support.
What we need now is certainty around funding so that the bridge can continue to be part of who we are for generations to come.
DAVE ALLAN, TEES BUSINESS DIRECTOR & TRANSPORTER BRIDGE HISTORIAN The Transporter isn’ t just a bridge, it’ s the very symbol of Teesside, so how have we even reached a point where anyone can talk about losing it? If this were in London, it would never have been allowed to deteriorate like this.
I’ d love to see it working again but rising costs might mean that isn’ t feasible. If we can make it safe and protect it as a monument, I think that has to be a minimum requirement.
My real fear is no decision. The can gets kicked down the road, the bridge continues to decay, and the options narrow. Doing nothing isn’ t an option.
DR COLEEN MERCER- QUINN, CLINICAL DIRECTOR AND LEAD CONSULTANT, REFLECT YARM & LIFELONG INSPIRATION WINNER, TEES BUSINESSWOMEN AWARDS 2025 The Transporter Bridge is a living monument to Teesside’ s proud industrial past, a great a symbol of the ingenuity, strength and community spirit that built this region. To lose it would be to lose a vital piece of our shared story.
While restoration will be costly, preserving the bridge as a heritage landmark safeguards our identity and honours generations who shaped Teesside’ s character. It deserves to stand tall once more, as a testament to where we’ ve come from and who we are.
CLAIRE WORDSWORTH, STAKEHOLDER AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER, NZT POWER The Transporter Bridge is an icon of Middlesbrough’ s proud industrial heritage and engineering excellence. While preserving its legacy is vital, creating a working replica could be a visionary project for a local engineering firm. It would generate skilled jobs, apprenticeships and valuable training opportunities, while attracting visitors and investment.
A modern, working replica, honouring the original design, could revitalise the area- celebrating Middlesbrough’ s past while driving future regeneration, increased visitors and community pride along the banks of the Tees.
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13