What is this platform doing floating on the River Wear under Sunderland's Northern Spire bridge?

The Northern Spire opened to traffic last August at a cost of £177.6 million, with construction taking more than two years.

Now a platform is being prepared to help a team carry out an inspection of the under side of the structure on the south side of the river.

Work has already been completed on the north side, with the inspection on the Pallion stretch to start later this month and is expected to take until October to complete.

Contractor Farrans Victor Buyck will use the platform and the chery picker on board to look at the state of the paint on the deck steelwork and the concrete bridge deck.

Sunderland City Council has said the work was “always planned” to take place, rather than it being prompted by any issues.

A spokesman said: “The cradle is for inspections and carrying out any work necessary on the underside of the Northern Spire.

“This is to ensure that everything is in accordance with the original contract specifications.”

The two-span cable-stayed bridge is 105 metres tall and crosses from Castletown to Pallion.

It is part of the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor, a continous dual carriagway which will take traffic between the A19 and the Port of Sunderland.