Gateshead Flyover demolition begins
Closed since December 2024 because of safety fears, contractor BAM and Thompsons of Prudhoe will begin work on removing the crumbling concrete highway today, starting with the ramps in the centre of the structure on Sunderland Road.
BAM and Thompsons completed demolition of the nearby Computer House at the beginning of this month, clearing the way for access to the 1960s flyover structure.
The anticipated completion date has been pushed back from May to October this year.
Once the ramps are removed, the section above the Sunderland Road bus lane will be tackled, before the section by Five Bridges roundabout is removed in June.
Demolition of the area by Park Lane roundabout will take place during the summer, and then the final section directly above the Tyne and Wear Metro tunnels will begin in autumn.
It is not known yet whether the works will cause any disruption to the underground lines, although Gateshead Council has said it hopes they will not have to be closed.
Gateshead Council has set aside £18m for the demolition with a further £2.5m pledged by the North East Combined Authority.
Once the flyover has gone, regeneration plans to improve the surrounding town centre can commence, with Gateshead stating that it envisions a new neighbourhood designed around people rather than traffic, with sustainable council homes built on the wider site.
