£18m set aside to demolish dangerous flyover
BBCA council has set aside £18m to cover the cost of demolishing a dangerous bridge which was closed last year.
Gateshead Council shut the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover in December after an inspection found it was unsafe for traffic.
Despite work being carried out to repair the structure, the council said it would need to be knocked down.
Council documents have now revealed the demolition would cost between £10m and £18m and is expected to be completed in the next financial year.
A spokesperson for the council said funding would be agreed once demolition costs and grant arrangements had been confirmed.
"If Gateshead Council needs to fund the demolition entirely from its own budgets, it would amount to a significant proportion of the authority's budgeted General Fund capital investment for 2025/26, and would have a negative impact on the council's plans for developing the borough across the financial year," they said.
Inspections of the bridge found several issues including water retention and flooding, spalling concrete and concerns over its post-tensioning tendons, which carry the majority of the loads in the structure.
A report by the council said the typical cost of repairing the flyover's concrete would be about £5.7m, but that figure did not include additional costs such as traffic management.
The bridge would then require repairs in the future meaning demolition was the more appropriate option.
"Demolition is the best option due to serious safety concerns, high repair costs, the flyover's age, and the potential for future regeneration," the report said.
"The structure is inherently unsafe and has reached the end of its useful life," it added.
The Boulevard
In the flyover's place, Gateshead Council intends to build a new road called The Boulevard.
It intends to use the The Boulevard as a jumping off point to redevelop the town centre, from the Tyne Bridge to Durham Road.
Regeneration of the area has been in the pipeline since 2008 but little work has been carried out.
Gateshead Council said it was in discussions with the government and the North East Combined Authority (NECA) to explore further funding for the town centre redevelopment.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness had previously said she was willing to use regional funds to finance the demolition if needed.
A NECA spokesperson said: "Gateshead Council has set aside funds to cover the demolition of the flyover within its 2025-26 budget; we stand ready to support the council if we are asked to but at this time that has not been the case."
NECA said it was working alongside Gateshead Council on funding solutions for the demolition of the flyover and the area's redevelopment but demolition costs had yet to be confirmed.