Gateshead Highway (A167) flyover
The A167 Gateshead Highway flyover is currently closed to all traffic after an inspection by consultant structural engineers indicated a potential risk to safety if it remains open.
The whole of the flyover closed on Friday 13 December. The road beneath the flyover is also closed between the Park Lane roundabout (junction with A184 Felling bypass) and the Five Bridges roundabout (junction with B1426 Sunderland Road).
The two roundabouts below the flyover will remain open, after expert advice from the consultant engineers confirmed it was safe to do so, allowing traffic to continue east/west and access between the A184 Felling bypass and the Tyne Bridge, and to the A1 regionwide.
Pedestrians are urged to keep to the footpaths and not break through the fencing. Security patrols are in place to ensure everyone's safety.
Alternative routes
A167 traffic is being diverted to the west of the flyover, around the Civic Centre.
See our interactive map for current roadworks throughout Gateshead including temporary traffic lights, road closures and diversions.
However, to reduce congestion, please use an alternative route (for example, the A1 Western Bypass) wherever possible.
Other ways to reduce congestion
The road closures will have a significant impact on traffic. Please help us to ease the pressure on the road network and keep things moving:
- use alternative routes to avoid the area wherever possible
- avoid travelling at peak times
- plan your journey in advance and allow extra time
- work from home if you can
- use public transport as much as possible
- adhere to traffic signals and road markings, particularly cross hatching and "keep clear"
We will continue to monitor the situation and all options will be kept under review. We are currently considering how and when we can open up the Sunderland Road bus lane again, whilst ensuring the safety of passengers and pedestrians.
However, there are currently no plans to reopen the Askew Road bus lane to other vehicles as traffic monitoring suggests that this would actually increase congestion.
The traffic lights at the eastern end of Askew Road are automated to only turn green when buses are waiting. This keeps A167 traffic flowing on the approach to the Tyne Bridge for the majority of the time.
Reopening this part of Askew Road to cars and other vehicles would mean increasing the duration of green light phases, which in turn would extend the duration of red light phases on the A167.
As the majority of traffic heading for the Tyne Bridge comes from the east and the south, we would expect this to mean queues along the Felling Bypass and back to the stadium. It would also make it more difficult for buses to have a quick onward journey into Newcastle and keep to timetable, at a time when bus travel is particularly crucial for keeping the network moving.
It has also been suggested that the closure of Askew Road to private vehicles has put more pressure on the flyover and sped up its deterioration. This is not the case. We have actually seen a marked reduction in vehicles travelling along the top deck of the flyover since 2019.
We will also not be changing the two lane layout on the Tyne Bridge. We're working closely with our partners at Newcastle City Council and Esh Construction on the Tyne Bridge restoration project.
The existing traffic management arrangements must remain in place to ensure the safety of the workforce and the travelling public while this important four year restoration programme is ongoing.
Tyne and Wear Metro
We have placed a temporary propping device around one of the pillars to provide additional support over the Metro tunnels, enabling trains to pass through safely. Work will begin soon to pour more concrete around the pillar as a medium term solution.
Stay up to date with Metro services through the Pop app, Nexus website (opens new window), information screens, the Metro public address system, and on the official X page, formerly Twitter, @My_Metro (opens new window).
We will continue to work with Nexus and other partners to manage the travel network as efficiently as possible.
Gateshead Town Centre
Town centre businesses are open as usual, with visitors encouraged to use public transport and alternative routes wherever they can.
Reason for the closures
The flyover was built in the late 1960s. It's getting old and water is getting into the structure, so the concrete is starting to deteriorate - which is typical of any structure of this age.
Over the years, we have brought forward bids for various funding streams but to date, we have not been able to secure funding which would allow us to demolish the flyover.
Inspections over recent years have indicated that despite some deterioration, the structure could continue to be safely used with increased monitoring and maintenance, while we reviewed options and continued to pursue the funding needed.
As a result of the increased monitoring and maintenance, we identified the need for a more detailed inspection which was carried out by consultant structural engineers.
This revealed more significant deterioration inside one of the pillars. The engineers advised that continued use of certain sections of the structure could put public safety at risk, so we acted on this advice to immediately close the flyover and part of the road beneath it.
We acknowledge that doing so will cause significant disruption to the travel network. However, safety is our top priority.
Next steps
Our long term plan remains to demolish the flyover completely and regenerate the area.
Discussions are ongoing with government ministers, the North East Combined Authority and other key partners to secure the funding needed for this and we are grateful for the support of North East mayor Kim McGuinness, who has pledged to contribute regional resources towards the demolition, saying the region cannot afford to wait for government funding.
In the meantime, we are working with our partners to keep Gateshead moving. We will continue to monitor the flyover and traffic levels, and carry out all necessary remedial work to minimise disruption until the structure is demolished.
We will share regular updates as this work progresses. In the meantime, thank you for your patience and understanding.