Park Lane roundabout to close for 26 days as Gateshead Flyover demolition reaches critical stage

Motorists are being urged to avoid central Gateshead where possible after council and contractors announced that the Park Lane roundabout — one of Tyneside's busiest junctions — will be closed for almost a month to allow demolition work on the derelict Gateshead Flyover.

Closure and diversion details

The junction, which links the A184 Felling Bypass to the A167 over the Tyne Bridge, will be closed from 8pm on Saturday 25 July until 21 August. Gateshead Council and contractor BAM have said engineers will work around the clock during the 26-day period to reopen the roundabout as quickly as possible.

• A signed diversion via the Baltic Quarter will be in place, but the council warns this route was not designed for the usual volumes that use Park Lane.
• Commuters are being encouraged to use alternatives such as the A1 and the Redheugh Bridge to cross the River Tyne where possible.
• Drivers who can avoid travelling through Gateshead at peak times are asked to do so to reduce congestion.

Council warning and what to expect

Gateshead's strategic director for economy, innovation and growth, Anneliese Hutchinson, described the coming weeks as the most difficult phase of the flyover removal works for road users. She said the council had tried to limit disruption by scheduling much of the work during the school holidays and completing preparatory tasks beforehand.

"First and foremost I want to say thank you to everyone who has borne with us over the last few months while we have been doing this work. We are absolutely trying to minimise disruption as far as possible and that is why we have been doing this work during the school holidays and have done a lot of work beforehand, so we are minimising the amount of time on the live carriageway."

Ms Hutchinson added that despite efforts to identify diversion routes with sufficient capacity, drivers should expect queues and disruption for those coming into the area.

Practical impact and advice

Park Lane is a primary distributor for traffic between Gateshead and Newcastle. The closure is expected to push additional vehicles onto surrounding roads and local bridges. Residents and commuters should factor extra journey time into plans and consider these points:

• Allow extra travel time for journeys to and from central Gateshead until the roundabout reopens.
• Use signed diversions where necessary and follow instructions of traffic-management staff at the site.
• Consider alternative crossings of the Tyne such as the A1 or Redheugh Bridge where practical.

The council and contractors have reiterated that the work is a necessary stage in removing the redundant flyover structure. While engineers aim to minimise the time the roundabout is closed to traffic, drivers should prepare for disruption through much of the coming month.