Newcastle Central Motorway inspections begin weeks after Gate...

In preparation for repairs this summer, road restrictions are scheduled throughout the next ten weeks as the

elevated portions of the A167 Central Motorway through Newcastle city centre are inspected.

Only a few weeks after one of Tyneside’s main thoroughfares was abruptly closed, a 10-week assessment of the

condition of Newcastle’s Central Motorway is about to commence.

Due to structural issues, the Gateshead Flyover has been closed since mid-December and is scheduled to be

dismantled. Similar raised parts of the A167 on the Newcastle side of the Tyne are currently being inspected by

engineers.

In preparation for repairs this summer, road restrictions are scheduled throughout the next ten weeks as the

elevated portions of the A167 Central Motorway through Newcastle city centre are inspected.

Only a few weeks after one of Tyneside’s main thoroughfares was abruptly closed, a 10-week assessment of the

condition of Newcastle’s Central Motorway is about to commence.

Due to structural issues, the Gateshead Flyover has been closed since mid-December and is scheduled to be

dismantled. Similar raised parts of the A167 on the Newcastle side of the Tyne are currently being inspected by

engineers.

The Central Motorway will then undergo major maintenance this summer, which is anticipated to last 18 to 24

months and include concrete repairs and waterproofing. Because the Gateshead Flyover was constructed only a few

years after the failing construction south of the river, the condition of the Central Motorway’s several flyovers and

bridges has come under increasing scrutiny since the Gateshead Flyover fiasco.

The council’s cabinet member for climate and transportation, Coun Juna Sathian, stated: “These crucial inspections

are a part of a major repair program for one of the city’s important highways. The Central Motorway will undergo its

first significant upgrade in more than two decades, and it is crucial that these projects be carried out to guarantee

that Newcastle has a strong infrastructure in place to support the city’s continued growth.

“Although we’ve made every effort to minimise any inconvenience, we kindly ask that people plan ahead and give

themselves extra time for travel while we conduct these crucial inspections.”

Monday, January 13 marked the start of the inspections’ initial phases, which included closing off-peak lanes on the

A167 on and off slip roads leading to Jesmond until January 24.

On January 27, the southbound section of the Central Motorway is scheduled to undergo four weeks of overnight

closures. Beginning on February 24, further overnight closures will be required on the Great North Road for a period

of two weeks.

The Tyne Bridge and Central Motorway restoration financing package includes about £9 million for the motorway,

which is much less than what was initially anticipated. This is because inflation drove up expenses, which caused city

officials to prioritise the demands of the grade II* listed bridge. Since Labour took office last summer, the

Department for Transport has been reviewing the project, and the Government has not yet confirmed whether it

would deliver the remaining £6 million that was pledged.

Newcastle Central Motorway inspections begin weeks after Gateshead Flyover closure