Major multi-million-pound repairs to the iconic Royal Border Bridge are being extended into 2023 to make the centuries-old structure strong and reliable for future generations to enjoy.

Network Rail engineers have risen to the challenge of working with the 170-year-old landmark so far. With over 2.5 million bricks stretching up to 40 metres high, the full extent of the repairs was hard to pinpoint from the ground.

Now, after close inspection, specialist engineers have decided to grasp the opportunity to carry out even more repairs, improving efficiency and helping the bridge look its best for years to come. This means that the renovations are now expected to last until spring 2023.

Work began at the start of this year to repair all 28 arches of the Grade I listed bridge, which sits across the River Tweed and transports freight goods and passengers between England and Scotland along the East Coast Main Line.

Innovatively, teams have used a rope access system to save time and millions of pounds, rather than building bulky and extensive scaffolding spanning the length and height of the bridge.

Ben Brooks, portfolio delivery director for Network Rail said: “We’re making great progress so far on the Royal Border Bridge repairs, but we’ve spotted the opportunity to go even further.

“We’ll be carrying out additional repairs to bring the famous bridge back to its former glory, and it’ll mean that we won’t need to complete any major maintenance work on it for the next 30 years.

“Unfortunately, this does mean that we’ll be working until spring 2023. We’re continuing to work with our partners to minimise any disturbance to the community and the footpath will remain open throughout.”

Click here to watch a short video of the engineering repair works taking place.