Viaduct work planned to support Metro expansion
GoogleWork on a disused Grade II* listed railway bridge could help support plans to extend a Metro line.
Nexus, which runs the Tyne and Wear Metro, has applied to Sunderland City Council to carry our investigation works at Victoria Viaduct in Washington.
The work would assess the condition of the 1838 structure to support a proposed extension of the Metro network to the town.
"Inspections are needed to ensure that the viaduct is up to the task of supporting a live railway," planning documents said.
In a heritage statement, Nexus said the bridge over the river Wear was completed on Queen Victoria's coronation day, from whom it takes its name, and cost just over £40,300.
It was designed by Thomas Elliot Harrison and James Walker and historically carried the main line between London and Newcastle.
It closed to passenger trains in 1964, but continued to be used for freight transport until the nearby Follingsby freight terminal closed in 1991.
Planning documents said the investigation work would be carried out following best practice for heritage structures and minimising visual and physical impact.
Last month it was announced that the Metro extension to Washington would open in 2033, with a £1.85bn government investment.
Although plans are yet to be finalised, the proposed route would extend the line from South Hylton and cross over the Victoria Viaduct, before reaching a Washington South station to be located in the Fatfield and Teal Farm area.