Flyover demolition programme to start
The demolition programme for the Gateshead Highway flyover project will begin on Monday 20 October.
The first task for the team will be to demolish the vacant Computer House office building at the south end of the High Street in Gateshead, as it stands close to the flyover and it needs to be removed to allow access to the main flyover structure.
By removing the flyover and several surrounding buildings, we plan to create a bigger, more inclusive community in this part of Gateshead, with accessible public spaces, safe walkable streets, and green areas.
Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: "This demolition programme will be a major step towards creating an expanded and renewed town centre, fit for the future.
"The removal of the flyover and some surrounding buildings will open up huge opportunities for regenerating this area, making space for the creation of a stronger community of businesses and good quality housing here.
"We appreciate that Gateshead residents, and people across Tyneside, just want to see the flyover down, and we're all impatient for that to happen, but we hope people will appreciate that having such a complex project signed off and the legalities and finances of a detailed contract agreed in under ten months is significantly faster than normal for a large infrastructure project.
"We really appreciate our residents' and businesses' continued patience and support."
We have signed a contract with specialist engineers BAM Nuttall to prepare for the flyover demolition, after complex and detailed preparation and surveying works were completed.
Main demolition work will start in the centre of the flyover structure, meaning the busy roundabouts at either end - Park Lane and Bellevue (Five Bridges) - can continue to operate until later phases of the programme.
The concrete at the two roundabouts will be even more closely monitored than before, and the side panels netted, to keep everyone safe while demolition begins in the centre of the structure.
Preparatory work for demolition has already started, with trees being removed and work to disconnect a substation, and to provide an alternate power source for street lighting in the area.
We have set aside £18m in its budget for demolition, and since then the North East Combined Authority has said it will contribute £2.5m of the demolition costs after North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she would do all it takes to make sure the flyover was demolished as part of wider plans to regenerate the town centre.
Work on demolition is beginning a little later than was first planned, owing to the complexity of the programme required to safely demolish the post-tensioned concrete structure.
Our aspiration is for the creation of a new neighbourhood designed around people rather than traffic, supporting low carbon living through sustainable design and delivering new council homes, built with the aim of strengthening the local community.
The first activity on site will see the establishment of a contractors' compound off the Sunderland Road bus lane to the east of the flyover.
There is also be some tree felling required around Computer House, before demolition begins in earnest.
Once Computer House has been demolished, the contractors will move on to the flyover itself. The main phase of demolition for the flyover structure is expected to begin in early 2026 and will be carried out in four phases, starting with the central section around the Sunderland Road bus lane to the south of the Metro tunnels.
This will be followed by the sections around the Bellevue (Five Bridges) roundabout and the Park Lane roundabout.
Finally, contractors will tackle the section above the Metro tunnels, where the work will be monitored closely at all times to ensure the tunnels remain safe for use.
Councillor Gannon continued:
"This is an extremely complex demolition programme. Our team, working with BAM and Thompsons, will work through a robust plan to safely bring down the entire 900 metre long Gateshead Highway structure including the ramps, as well as partially excavating the foundations."
The timelines for each of the demolition phases, along with details of the road closures and diversions required, will be confirmed as the programme progresses.
It is expected that the flyover structure will be largely removed from the landscape by around May 2026.
The council will work with BAM Nuttall to keep disruption to a minimum - particularly for residents and businesses in neighbouring properties.
Pedestrian routes will be kept open wherever possible, but there will inevitably need to be some diversions to ensure people are safely clear of the demolition area.
Shops and other organisations in Gateshead town centre will remain open for business, with visitors encouraged to use the diversions in place and use public transport where possible.
The council will be doing all it can to keep local residents and businesses informed, to minimise disruption to people's everyday lives.
Following the recent closure of Park Lane roundabout for safety checks on the flyover concrete, the frequency of checks is being increased.
The next checks will mean closure of the Park Lane roundabout:
- Thursday 16 to Friday 17 October, from 10pm to 6am
- Friday 17 to Saturday 18 October, from 10pm to 6am
Then closure of the Sunderland Road bus lane:
- Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 October, from 11pm to 6am
And finally closure of the Bellevue (Five Bridges) roundabout:
- Sunday 19 to Monday 20 October, from 10pm to 6am
Additional dates have been identified in case further closures are required.
The demolition programme for the Gateshead Highway flyover project will begin on Monday 20 October.
The first task for the team will be to demolish the vacant Computer House office building at the south end of the High Street in Gateshead, as it stands close to the flyover and it needs to be removed to allow access to the main flyover structure.
By removing the flyover and several surrounding buildings, we plan to create a bigger, more inclusive community in this part of Gateshead, with accessible public spaces, safe walkable streets, and green areas.
Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: "This demolition programme will be a major step towards creating an expanded and renewed town centre, fit for the future.
"The removal of the flyover and some surrounding buildings will open up huge opportunities for regenerating this area, making space for the creation of a stronger community of businesses and good quality housing here.
"We appreciate that Gateshead residents, and people across Tyneside, just want to see the flyover down, and we're all impatient for that to happen, but we hope people will appreciate that having such a complex project signed off and the legalities and finances of a detailed contract agreed in under ten months is significantly faster than normal for a large infrastructure project.
"We really appreciate our residents' and businesses' continued patience and support."
We have signed a contract with specialist engineers BAM Nuttall to prepare for the flyover demolition, after complex and detailed preparation and surveying works were completed.
Main demolition work will start in the centre of the flyover structure, meaning the busy roundabouts at either end - Park Lane and Bellevue (Five Bridges) - can continue to operate until later phases of the programme.
The concrete at the two roundabouts will be even more closely monitored than before, and the side panels netted, to keep everyone safe while demolition begins in the centre of the structure.
Preparatory work for demolition has already started, with trees being removed and work to disconnect a substation, and to provide an alternate power source for street lighting in the area.
We have set aside £18m in its budget for demolition, and since then the North East Combined Authority has said it will contribute £2.5m of the demolition costs after North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she would do all it takes to make sure the flyover was demolished as part of wider plans to regenerate the town centre.
Work on demolition is beginning a little later than was first planned, owing to the complexity of the programme required to safely demolish the post-tensioned concrete structure.
Our aspiration is for the creation of a new neighbourhood designed around people rather than traffic, supporting low carbon living through sustainable design and delivering new council homes, built with the aim of strengthening the local community.
The first activity on site will see the establishment of a contractors' compound off the Sunderland Road bus lane to the east of the flyover.
There is also be some tree felling required around Computer House, before demolition begins in earnest.
Once Computer House has been demolished, the contractors will move on to the flyover itself. The main phase of demolition for the flyover structure is expected to begin in early 2026 and will be carried out in four phases, starting with the central section around the Sunderland Road bus lane to the south of the Metro tunnels.
This will be followed by the sections around the Bellevue (Five Bridges) roundabout and the Park Lane roundabout.
Finally, contractors will tackle the section above the Metro tunnels, where the work will be monitored closely at all times to ensure the tunnels remain safe for use.
Councillor Gannon continued:
"This is an extremely complex demolition programme. Our team, working with BAM and Thompsons, will work through a robust plan to safely bring down the entire 900 metre long Gateshead Highway structure including the ramps, as well as partially excavating the foundations."
The timelines for each of the demolition phases, along with details of the road closures and diversions required, will be confirmed as the programme progresses.
It is expected that the flyover structure will be largely removed from the landscape by around May 2026.
The council will work with BAM Nuttall to keep disruption to a minimum - particularly for residents and businesses in neighbouring properties.
Pedestrian routes will be kept open wherever possible, but there will inevitably need to be some diversions to ensure people are safely clear of the demolition area.
Shops and other organisations in Gateshead town centre will remain open for business, with visitors encouraged to use the diversions in place and use public transport where possible.
The council will be doing all it can to keep local residents and businesses informed, to minimise disruption to people's everyday lives.
Following the recent closure of Park Lane roundabout for safety checks on the flyover concrete, the frequency of checks is being increased.
The next checks will mean closure of the Park Lane roundabout:
- Thursday 16 to Friday 17 October, from 10pm to 6am
- Friday 17 to Saturday 18 October, from 10pm to 6am
Then closure of the Sunderland Road bus lane:
- Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 October, from 11pm to 6am
And finally closure of the Bellevue (Five Bridges) roundabout:
- Sunday 19 to Monday 20 October, from 10pm to 6am
Additional dates have been identified in case further closures are required.
