A recent report predicted the Gateshead Flyover could last until 2090, but it closed unexpectedly just five years later due to safety concerns.
Back in 2019, a report said it had 71 years left. But it needed a whopping £94 million in repairs. That’s a lot of cash! The council was hoping for £18 million from the government to tear it down. They said keeping it safe was a big burden.
Now, people are asking what happened. How did it go from safe to closed in just five years? The flyover shut down in December because one of its pillars was in bad shape. Metro services below had to stop for almost two weeks.
The 2019 report claimed it wasn’t a danger. But now, the council says it’s reached the end of its life. Ron Beadle, a local council leader, is skeptical. He wants to know what maintenance was done.
They’re planning to strengthen two pillars soon. But the long-term goal is to demolish the flyover and change the road layout. The North East mayor is on board but says they need government funds for a bigger plan.
Since 2008, there have been dreams of replacing the flyover with a nice tree-lined street. But funding has always been a problem. The 2019 bid warned that the flyover was a maintenance headache and blocked new developments.
They had plans for around 1,000 apartments and 300 houses if the flyover was gone. The best option was to demolish it for £18 million and change the roundabout into a traffic light intersection.
Colin Swinney from the council said the flyover was built to last. But years of repairs showed it had serious issues. Water was getting in, rusting the steel inside. They’ve been keeping a close eye on it, knowing it was weakening.
Increased monitoring led to the closure on December 13 due to safety worries. It’s a tough situation, but they’re trying to figure it all out.
