The Calloway Crossing Programme replaces a 1960s river bridge, adds a two-way cycle boulevard and builds a rail link to the new hospital campus. This site publishes the plan, the budget, the closures and the contractors, and updates the numbers every Friday.
The programme is funded by Tyneside Combined Authority and the national transport fund.
Three problems, each with a number attached, drive the design and decide the order of the work. The business case, traffic model and environmental statement are all published in full, so anyone can check the reasoning behind the plan.
Inspections found corrosion in 40 percent of the deck beams, and weight limits already stop buses crossing during storms. The new structure carries four lanes, a rail track and a pedestrian walkway for at least 120 years.
A protected boulevard with separated bike lanes links the university and the Quayside. Modelling expects 9,000 cycle trips a day within five years of opening.
Heavy lifts are scheduled for the six calmest months and every crane movement is published a week ahead. Neighbours see the sequence before the machines arrive.
Dates move when the river decides, and each change is listed on the updates page with the reason. A short written note explains whether it affects cost, safety or the opening date, and who approved the decision.
Gas, water and fibre mains were moved clear of the new foundations ahead of schedule.
Three river piers are finished and the first of nine deck segments is being lifted this season.
Tunnelling begins from the hospital campus towards the south bank.
Paving, trees and lighting are finished while traffic switches to the new bridge.
The 1960s structure is dismantled in sections, the abutments become viewing platforms and native reeds are replanted along both banks.
9 segments · 1,150 tonnes each
Structures
2.4 km of new track
Rail
11 km of pipe relaid
Utilities
Figures are in millions of pounds at 2026 prices and are reconciled to audited accounts each quarter.
| Bridge structure | 212 £m | 118 £m | 46 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail link and station | 148 £m | 21 £m | 32 % |
| Cycle boulevard and public realm | 52 £m | 6 £m | 11 % |
| Utilities diversion | 34 £m | 34 £m | 7 % |
| Contingency | 16 £m | 0 £m | 4 % |
Heavy lift weekends are announced in advance and viewing points open to the public on the south bank path.
A temporary route is signed during lifts, and the main path reopens each evening once the crane is parked.
Thirty-one trees on the north approach must go, and 140 native replacements will be planted along the boulevard, with species chosen by a panel of local gardeners and the council's arboriculture officer.
Piling is limited to 8:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, and monitors report noise levels at three houses on the programme website.
Capital funding comes from the national transport fund and the combined authority, with no new local tax. Every change to the budget above ten thousand pounds is reported to the scrutiny panel.
It stays open until the new deck carries traffic, then it is dismantled over fourteen months. Steel is recycled and the stone abutments are kept as viewing platforms.
Two weekend closures are planned for the final traffic switch. Operators will publish diversions a month ahead, and a temporary shuttle will run across the river meanwhile.
Call the community line on the number below at any hour. Each report is logged, and a named liaison officer replies the next working day with what will be done.
Yes. Awarded contract summaries and the supplier list are published within 30 days of signature.
One email each Friday with closures, noisy works and any change to the programme dates. Residents within 500 metres also get a leaflet through the door, and businesses on the diversion routes receive a direct line to the traffic manager.