Tyne Bridge full closures announced for July to erect famous Great North Run sign

There will be eight overnight road closures on the Tyne Bridge in early July.

Drivers are being warned about the full closures - which will see the installation of Great North Run signage on the bridge - and a daytime closure on the morning of July 7 for the Great North 10k event. These closures come in addition to the ongoing partial lane closures in place while much-awaited refurbishment work is carried out.

The first full closure will be overnight between Monday July 1 and Thursday July 4. The Tyne Bridge will be fully closed each evening from 8pm until 6am. This will also be the case on the same four evenings the following week - that's July 8 to July 11.

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In between, July 7 will see a daytime closure for the 10k road race event. These closures will see the Great North Run sign erected, while engineers will also carry out inspection work on parts of the bridge which are not accessible while it is open to traffic.

The closures and signage work has been timed to have minimum impact on events such as the Hoppings and the already-planned weekend closures at the Tyne Tunnel.

Pamela Holmes, assistant director for transport at Newcastle City Council said; "The Tyne Bridge plays an important role in the Great North Run and will continue to do so throughout the restoration period. As we gear up for the Great North Run this September, we are making arrangements for the traditional signage to be installed in a way that will ensure this is done safely and with as little disruption as possible.

“We’re asking people to use alternative routes during these overnight closures and once again would like to thank the public for their patience during these works.”

On the July 7 date for the Great North 10k - the route will take runners from the traditional Great North Run start line at the Central Motorway over the Tyne Bridge in both directions and then through the city centre, ending in Exhibition Park. This will mean road closures including on the bridge between 8.30am and 1pm - with the southbound Central Motorway seeing lane closures between 4am and 1pm.

Drivers are advised to take alternative routes. For more details about the Tyne Bridge restoration and travel advice visit www.tynebridge.org.