Gateshead Highway (A167) flyover
The A167 Gateshead Highway flyover is closed to all traffic after an inspection by consultant structural engineers indicated a potential risk to safety if it remained open.
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 can remain 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.
Pedestrians are urged to keep to the footpaths, and use the key crossing points:
- the pedestrian tunnel at the north end of the structure, near Hopper Street
- the pedestrian crossing just south of the Park Lane roundabout
- the paths alongside the Sunderland Road bus and cycle lane
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 or A19 Tyne Tunnel) 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
- plan your journey in advance and allow extra time
- use public transport as much as possible
- obey traffic signals and road markings, particularly cross hatching and "keep clear markings"
We will continue to monitor the situation and all options will be kept under review.
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
When the flyover was first closed, we placed a temporary propping device next to one of the pillars to provide additional support above the route of the Metro tunnels, enabling trains to pass through safely.
Since then our contractors have poured additional concrete around two pillars to ensure the safety of the flyover structure while we work towards a full demolition programme.
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.
Gateshead Town Centre
Town centre businesses are open as usual, with visitors encouraged to use public transport and alternative routes wherever they can.
Surveys of footfall are encouraging, and in line with other town centres around the country.
We continue to support the town centre throughout the period of the flyover being closed, with plans for a marketing campaign, and our town centre manager is working alongside businesses and volunteers to improve the local environment.
Regeneration
We will be bringing forward radical plans to attract inward investment. The flyover is an eyesore and isn't a structure that we need any more for transport.
We are 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
The council has already been working on the High Street South area for some time and the demolition of the flyover will help deliver our vision to radically transform the centre of Gateshead and to provide 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 on plans to give the historic Gateshead Town Hall a new lease of life as a thriving neighbourhood with cafes, bars, restaurants and green spaces.
Reason for the closures
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.
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 has caused some disruption to the travel network. However, safety has to be our top priority.
Next steps
Our plan is 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.
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, we thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding.