Local Highway Maintenance Transparency Report 2025 - 2026

The Department for Transport requires all local highways authorities to publish information about their highways maintenance activities to help local taxpayers see the difference that funding is making in their areas.

1 Our highway network

Gateshead Council, as the highway authority, has a legal responsibility to maintain adopted highway in the borough (except the A1 and A194(M), which are maintained by National Highways). Most adopted highway has been in existence for many years, but the network continues to change as a result of new development or alterations to existing routes to accommodate modern requirements. 

The total length of the highway network in Gateshead is approximately 560 miles (900km). The network reflects the mixed character of Gateshead, ranging from major urban routes carrying large volumes of traffic to more lightly used rural roads some over 200 metres in altitude providing access to outlying villages and farms. It includes 740 miles (1191km) of footway, 32,000 streetlights, 289 bridges and other highway structures, and 170 traffic signaled junctions or crossings. 

Gateshead's position within the Tyneside conurbation means that, as well as catering for local traffic, there are significant amounts of travel through the area to and from adjoining areas. The Newcastle / Gateshead urban core (including Newcastle city centre) is the main regional centre for shopping, leisure and employment providing over 80,000 jobs, and draws on a wide regional catchment area. This results in additional pressures on the main cross boundary routes from commuter and other traffic. These are intensified by the limited number of river crossings, which means that traffic converges at a small number of points on the network. The council shares maintenance responsibilities with Newcastle City for a number of bridges across the Tyne. 

Table 1.1 Lengths of highways, footways and cycleways