Gateshead Highway (A167) flyover

Demolition
Regeneration
Road closures and diversions
  - Askew Road
  - Tyne Wear Metro
Reasons for the closures

Demolition

Our plan is to demolish the flyover completely and some of the surrounding buildings so we can regenerate the area.   

This is a complex programme that would usually take years to complete. Since closing the flyover in December 2024, we've been working hard with specialist engineers BAM to deliver the programme. 

We've made strong progress and the demolition is moving forward as planned. Since work began in April with the removal of Computer House, we're now over halfway through the programme. We've removed 15 of the structure's 27 spans, and over 18,000 tonnes of concrete and steel from site. 

We're bringing down the flyover by using excavators to 'munch' the concrete off in small pieces. We considered multiple ways to do this, and this was the lowest risk option. We're removing the two outside edges of each part of the structure simultaneously, working towards the centre. This slowly removes load from the structure which reduces the chance of any sudden loss of support.  

Whilst the flyover is closed, our town centre businesses are open as usual, with visitors encouraged to use public transport and alternative routes wherever they can to travel into the town centre. We're continuing to support those based in the town centre throughout the flyover closure, by supporting events programmes and working alongside businesses and volunteers to improve the local environment. 

We're doing all we can to minimise disruption for people who live and work nearby. 

Regeneration

We're taking the opportunity the closure of the flyover has presented, to demolish the structure and help make Gateshead and the town centre more attractive for residents, businesses and visitors. 

We've already been working on redeveloping the High Street South area and the demolition of the flyover will help deliver our vision to radically transform the centre of Gateshead by providing new homes for people of all ages and new spaces for local services.  

Elsewhere in the town centre, we are working with social impact developers Capital&Centric to give the historic Gateshead Old Town Hall a new lease of life as a thriving neighbourhood with cafes, bars, restaurants and green spaces.  

As for the road that was under the old flyover, it won't reopen immediately. It'll be badly damaged as part of the demolition works. It's right in the heart of the area where we're planning thousands of new homes for Gateshead, and we want to use this opportunity to bring it into our wider plans to regenerate the borough.  

Reimagining this area presents a huge opportunity, and so it's only right we ask our residents what you want to see happen. So, we'll be talking to residents about it in the autumn, once the demolition is finished, so that you can share your views and we can use them to shape the future. 

Road closures and diversions

The whole of the flyover closed on Friday 13 December 2024. 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 remained open, as expert advice from consultant engineers confirmed it was safe to do so.   

This allows traffic to continue east/west and access between the A184 Felling Bypass and the Tyne Bridge, and to the A1 regionwide.   

As the project has progressed, we've scheduled closure periods for both roundabouts to enable work on the structure above them. During the closures, our contractors will work around the clock to minimise the length of the closure. Official diversion routes will be clearly signposted. 

The Five Bridges roundabout  

Our work to demolish the sections of the flyover surrounding Fiver Bridges roundabout is now complete.  

It has now reopened, with the High West Street bus lane being back to bus only. 

For those on foot, the tri-star footbridges are also now partially reopen. We plan to reopen all the footbridges in mid-August.   

The Park Lane Roundabout will be closed from Saturday 25 July and is expected to reopen from Friday 21 August 2026. 

The Park Lane roundabout closure will start on Saturday 25 July at 8pm and is due to finish on Friday 21 August. 

Work will be taking place up to 24-hours a day, seven days a week so it can be completed in the shortest possible time. The near four-week closure has been scheduled to coincide with the school holidays when traffic levels are usually lower. 

 
As the capacity of our town centre roads will be significantly reduced by the closure, we'll be asking those not travelling to Gateshead town centre, to please avoid travelling through it while Park Lane roundabout is closed.  

At the same time, we know people will want to travel to our town centre and it will very much remain open for business. Shops, restaurants, attractions and services will continue to welcome visitors throughout the closure period. We're also hosting our exciting 'Summer of Fun' activities for residents and visitors to enjoy in the town centre. 

For those who are travelling into Gateshead, please consider public transport to help reduce congestion, as well as park and ride, car sharing, or walking and cycling as options. 

Traffic which normally uses the Felling bypass (A184) to reach the Park Lane roundabout, will be diverted along Albany Road, Quays Boulevard and Hawks Road to reach the Oakwellgate roundabout, and can then proceed onwards to the Tyne Bridge or to the Trinity Square Gateshead car park off Lambton Street. 

We've planned to minimise disruption along the key diversion routes. 

We'll be partially closing the junction between Hawks Road and Quays Boulevard to improve traffic flow between the Felling Bypass and Tyne Bridge. Traffic will not be able to go east along Hawks Road at this point, but access via other roads will be maintained. 

We'll also be partially closing the junction between Hawks Road, Quarryfield Road, and Mill Road so traffic can flow freely along Hawks Road. However, access to Quarryfield Road and Mill Road will still be available via other roads. 

These turn restrictions will mean the main flow of traffic diverted off the Felling Bypass will not need to wait at red lights at multiple junctions, and can travel between the Tyne Bridge and the A184 Felling Bypass with minimal interruptions. 

Diversion route 2 

Traffic which normally approaches Park Lane roundabout from the west on Charles Street will be diverted to use the West Central Route or Prince Consort Road via the Bensham roundabout, and those wanting to access Newcastle City Centre from this direction will be asked to use the Redheugh Bridge. 

Lambton Street has now been amended back to its previous layout, which means traffic is able to access Trinity Square car park from the High Street and Oakwellgate junction, and can then leave the car park in either direction - to the east (Oakwellgate) or west (West Central Route). 

See our interactive map for current roadworks throughout Gateshead including temporary traffic lights, road closures and diversions.

Askew Road

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 cause delays for buses routing towards central Newcastle, at a time when bus travel is particularly crucial for keeping the network moving. 

Tyne and Wear Metro

Every precaution is being taken to make sure the Metro tunnels, which run directly beneath the structure, are not disturbed or damaged during the demolition work.

You can 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.

Reason for the initial closure 

The flyover was built in the late 1960s. It's getting old and water has got into the structure, so the concrete is starting to deteriorate - which is typical of any structure of this age.   

Over recent years, we have brought forward bids for various funding streams but we have not been able to secure funding which would allow us to demolish the flyover. 

Since 2017, we've carried out more than 50 inspections on the flyover. They 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 in December 2024.  

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 has caused disruption to the travel network and this will continue to be the case throughout the demolition programme. However, safety has to be our top priority.  

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support.