The iconic Tees Transporter Bridge has been included on this year’s Top 10 Endangered Buildings list published by the Victorian Society, highlighting the scale of repair challenges facing ageing infrastructure assets.

The bridge, a symbol of Teesside’s industrial heritage, has been closed since 2019 due to serious structural concerns. Spanning the River Tees between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, it is one of the most recognisable engineering landmarks in the UK.

The bridge, which opened in 1911, has been included in the list from the Victorian Society, which works to protect Victorian and Edwardian buildings from demolition and destruction.

Designed to carry workers and goods across the River Tees without obstructing busy shipping lanes, the bridge was built by Sir William Arrol & Co, the firm responsible for the Forth Bridge. It stretches 260 metres (850 feet) and rises 69 metres (225 feet) above the water.

Its distinctive gondola, suspended from the overhead structure, once transported vehicles and pedestrians across the river, a rare and ingenious solution that made it one of the largest transporter bridges of its kind in the world.

Responsibility for its ownership and operation is shared between Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough councils. The Victorian Society says the estimated £60m required for repair and restoration is beyond their means.

Before its closure, the Transporter Bridge was one of the few remaining operational examples of its type worldwide. In addition to its historic and functional role, it had developed a reputation as a visitor attraction, hosting events including abseils, bungee jumps and zip slides.

The society says its loss would be felt not only as the disappearance of a working structure, but as “the erosion of a defining feature of the region’s identity”.

The Victorian Society is calling for a co-ordinated national response to secure the bridge’s future. Whether as a functioning crossing or as a conserved monument, it says this “extraordinary structure” must not be allowed to fall into permanent disuse.

James Hughes, director of the Victorian Society, said: “The Tees Transporter Bridge is one of Britain’s most remarkable feats of engineering and a defining landmark of the North-east. Its future cannot be left to uncertainty. A clear strategy, supported at national level, is urgently needed to secure both its structure and its continued role in the life of the region.”

Selected from nominations made by the public, this year’s list highlights a striking and varied group of Victorian and Edwardian buildings at risk. The Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list aims to draw national attention to these at-risk places, encourages debate, and supports efforts to find sustainable new uses.

Click here to read the full list.