Drivers urged to avoid town centre during closure
BBCCommuters have been urged to avoid driving into a town centre later this month during the next stage of a flyover demolition.
The Park Lane roundabout in Gateshead will shut at the end of July for several weeks as part of works to tear down the Gateshead Flyover.
The roundabout is heavily used by commuters travelling into Newcastle because it connects the A184 Felling Bypass to the A167 over the Tyne Bridge.
Council official Neil Wilkinson said this would be the "most complex and challenging" phase of the demolition. The roundabout will be closed from 25 July.
"Our key message is simple," he said. "If you're not travelling to Gateshead town centre, please avoid travelling through it while Park Lane roundabout is closed."
The nearby Five Bridges roundabout is currently closed to traffic, but the Park Lane section of the works is expected to result in even more chaos, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The Reform UK-led local authority said works around the Park Lane roundabout would be carried out 24 hours a day to get the junction reopened "in the shortest possible time".
It said this phase of the works had been deliberately timed with the school holidays to mitigate its impact.
Gateshead CouncilIt is currently expected the roundabout will be closed until 21 August.
A diversion route will be in place via Quays Boulevard and Hawks Road – but officials warn that it is not designed to carry the volume of traffic that uses Park Lane.
"The diversion routes are there to maintain access for residents, businesses and visitors," said Atkinson. "They are not intended to carry the usual volume of commuter traffic that passes through this part of Gateshead every day."
He said shops, restaurants and venues in Gateshead would remain open for business.
Drivers are being told to use the A1, A19 and Tyne Tunnel rather than going through Gateshead town centre.
They are also being advised to walk, cycle or use public transport to get into the town centre.
Before the full Park Lane roundabout closure begins, there will be a week of overnight closures starting on 20 July.
The flyover was closed to traffic in December 2024 after it was found to be unsafe and work to demolish the ageing structure began in April.
The demolition is expected to be complete later this year.
