Latest on crumbling Gateshead Flyover as date given for demolition – but it will take six months to complete

The long wait to see the crumbling concrete viaduct torn down will soon be over, with its removal set to begin within a matter of weeks.

However, council bosses and engineers now say that it is now expected to take until October at the earliest for the disused highway to be fully destroyed.

The A167 Gateshead Highway flyover has stood empty since December 2024, having been closed suddenly due to major safety fears.

Hopes of removing the flyover to pave the way for a significant regeneration of the surrounding town centre have been discussed for almost two decades.

And there has been mounting frustration over delays to its demolition since the closure 15 months ago.

Council leader Martin Gannon had previously pledged in March last year that the crumbling concrete structure would be gone “within a year”, before the local authority later said that it would be largely gone by May 2026.

That target end date has now been pushed back to the autumn of this year, with demolition contractors BAM having revealed new details of their plans.

Removal of the neighbouring Computer House office block is scheduled to be finished in the next couple of weeks, once heavier machinery has been brought in from Scotland for the last stage of the works.

That will then allow the contractors access to start removing the on and off ramps in the central section of the 1970s flyover, where 40 pairs of heavy steel props are currently being installed in preparation for the demolition.

Demolition will then move to the section of the flyover directly above the Sunderland Road bus lane, and then further south towards Five Bridges roundabout around June.

Some works will take place around the Park Lane roundabout in May in preparation for that area of the highway to be removed, but the actual demolition there will be during the summer.

The last section of the work, in the early autumn, will be on the areas directly above the underground Tyne and Wear Metro tunnels.

Metro services across the Tyne were suspended either side of Christmas in 2024 because of worries that the flyover was in danger of collapsing, severing the critical public transport network in two.

Gateshead Council said on Thursday that it is not currently expected that the Metro lines will need to close again.

They added: “However, monitoring equipment has been installed in the tunnels, so if any movement beyond normal levels is detected, the council and Nexus will be alerted immediately to take action.”

Anneliese Hutchinson, strategic director for economy, innovation and growth at Gateshead Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This has been so complicated. We are in the middle of a busy city centre, we need to try and keep the Metro running, keep the roads running, and make sure people can still get into work. It is also a really complicated structure to demolish.

“It is not just down to us, there are the utility companies we need to coordinate with. You name it, there has been an issue that we have had to deal with. We are now really pleased that we can definitely say that this is starting.”

The council has set aside £18 million for the demolition works and a further £2.5 million has been contributed by the North East Combined Authority, though local leaders have warned that Government support will be needed to back further regeneration efforts once the flyover is gone.

Scott Beattie, operations manager at BAM, said: “In April we will begin the main demolition of the Gateshead Highway flyover. Safety and minimising disruption are at the heart of our approach. We’re installing protective screens, have established dedicated haul roads, and put in place robust traffic and pedestrian management plans.

“We are working closely with Gateshead Council to keep the town moving as effectively as possible whilst the demolition takes place.

“With our partners, we are committed to delivering this complex project while supporting the wider regeneration of the town.”