IT is good news that at last the money to repair Whorlton suspension bridge in Teesdale has come through, but what is it with our old bridges that they stand closed for years, with travellers inconvenienced, while wrangling over finances takes place?

The iconic Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough has been out of action since 2019 and became a political issue during the mayoral election with every candidate falling over themselves to commit to restoring it. But since the ballot boxes were packed away, the bridge has remained closed…

Up on Tyneside, there were desperate pleas to the then Conservative government to release the £35m it promised in 2022 to repair the – equally iconic – Tyne Bridge. The money eventually came through earlier this year and now, with a late starting date, the race is on to have the work complete for the bridge’s100th anniversary in 2028.

It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth that the North East is so beholden to London for money to repair its historic infrastructure, and it has to dance around to get it. It is such a nonsense – the 193-year-old Whorlton bridge, the UK’s oldest road suspension bridge supported by its original iron chains, was never going to be allowed to slowly rot into the river, so why all the “will they, won’t they” drama over the funding?

Now it is getting “levelling up” money, and we are expected to be grateful. How can restoring something that has been part of daily life for 193 years be regarded as a big, new improvement? It is just returning us to how things were before they got worse.

We shouldn’t be grateful for having our bridges repaired anymore than we should for having our potholes filled – that is why we pay our taxes.

Whorlton, which is a fabulous piece of local colour, should be ready by next year; the Tyne should be complete by 2028, but what about the Transporter?

READ THE FULL STORY: REPAIRS TO WHORLTON BRIDGE TO BEGIN