North East Mayor pledges to speed up Gateshead Flyover work

The North East regional mayor has expressed her readiness to finance the demolition of a flyover that was closed this month for safety reasons.

The A167 Gateshead Highway, a vital traffic route for approximately 40,000 vehicles per day, may not reopen after inspectors identified significant concerns regarding a concrete supporting pillar. This development follows a local councillor’s call for regional leaders to address public anxieties surrounding plans to mitigate the disruptions caused by the closure.

The abrupt shutdown of the flyover has significantly impacted the region’s transport network, leading to the suspension of Metro services crossing the River Tyne due to potential risks to a nearby tunnel. Nexus, the operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro, has characterized this situation as “one of the biggest operational challenges” in the system’s history.

The ensuing decrease in foot traffic in certain areas has also resulted in a decline in trade, as noted by the business improvement district NE1.

On Monday, McGuinness held discussions with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Gateshead MP Mark Ferguson, and Gateshead Council Leader Martin Gannon.

She indicated that “immediate” measures are being implemented to repair the flyover to restore Metro services; however, she did not provide specific details regarding the nature of these actions or the timeline for resuming train operations.

The mayor said: “Gateshead Council must deliver a plan to make that happen within days, they know that and they have my full support in getting it done.”

“There’s no route to delivering all of this without some Government funding.

“We have agreed to continue this discussion, but we can’t afford to wait for that.

“We are willing to use regional resources for the demolition to take place as soon as Gateshead can put a plan in place.”