Halfway Milestone For £3 Million Major Restoration Programme!

This weekend marked the halfway point of a five-year major restoration project at the Tees Barrage which is being undertaken by Canal & River Trust.

This extensive project, costing an estimated £3 million in total with a £525,000 contribution towards the project thanks to players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, is the most extensive repairs programme to be undertaken at Tees Barrage to date.

All four gates and cylinders, which are fundamental components of the Tees Barrage and help control the flow of the River Tees, are being refurbished for the first time since it opened in 1995.

A 150-tonne crane and a team of expert engineers worked through the night on Sunday 11 October to complete the latest series of works. They refurbished the second of the four original 12-metre long cylinders, used to operate the 88-tonne belly gates of the Barrage. The carefully managed process involved refilling with river water the caissons in front of the belly gates before using the crane, aided by specialist divers, to take out the enormous planks that have been holding back the river water and allowing the refurbishment to take place.

The extensive work will enable Tees Barrage to continue to provide services to our community, like it has been for 25 years this year!