Gateshead Flyover Closure Update: Council’s Latest Plan to Keep Metro Running
Gateshead Council reveals new measures for the flyover, ensuring Metro services continue while road access remains restricted
Gateshead, UK, Flyover, Metro, Council, Traffic
Gateshead: The council’s been busy figuring out how to deal with the flyover situation. They’ve got some new plans to reinforce it, but don’t get your hopes up about reopening the road just yet.
The A167 flyover has been closed since mid-December because one of its concrete pillars was looking pretty shaky. This caused a real mess for travel, especially when the Metro services had to stop for almost two weeks. They only managed to put in a temporary support just before the new year.
Now, the council is gearing up for more work this month. They’ll be using fresh concrete to wrap around two of the pillars. But here’s the kicker: this is just a temporary fix to keep the Metro running below. It won’t let cars back on the flyover or the road underneath.
Last time the Metro was out of action, it really messed up travel for folks, especially during the busy Christmas season. The council has big dreams of tearing down the flyover and creating a nice tree-lined street instead. They’ve been talking about this since 2008, but nothing has happened yet.
It’s estimated that tearing it down could cost anywhere from £13 million to £74 million, depending on how much work they want to do. The North East mayor, Kim McGuinness, is on board with using regional funds for the demolition, but she’s also said they’ll need some help from the government for the bigger plans.
On Tuesday, the council mentioned they’re still figuring out when they can reopen the Sunderland Road bus lane, which is currently blocked off due to the flyover issues. They’re checking the concrete above the bus lane to see if any panels need to come down before they can reopen it.
Council leader Martin Gannon acknowledged that while traffic hasn’t been as bad as expected, he understands the frustration of people having to change their travel plans. He reassured everyone that they’re working hard to reinforce the flyover safely and figure out how to get the bus lane back in action.
Safety is their top priority, and while everyone wants to see things moving faster, they’re taking it step by step to do it right.
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