Flyover demolition cost rises by millions
Gateshead CouncilDemolishing a flyover will cost millions more than expected, a council has confirmed.
Gateshead Council initially set aside about £18m to knock down the A167 flyover. It has now said the works will cost about £31m.
The structure, built in the 1960s, has been shut since December 2024 due to safety concerns. Its demolition began in earnest in April and is scheduled to finish in October.
Council official Anneliese Hutchinson said the costs had been "independently scrutinised" by construction finance specialists and were considered fair.
She said carrying out part of the demolition overnight to reduce traffic had contributed to the higher costs.
It is understood the demolition's price rise will not impact on the immediate progress of the works, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Gateshead CouncilThe council is seeking money from Department for Transport (DfT) to help it fund the demolition, as well as the work required to replace the flyover with a new road layout.
DfT said it would announce whether the authority had been successful in its bid for the cash in the autumn.
Gateshead Council believes DfT should help pay for the demolition because the flyover was built as part of national highways infrastructure and originally carried the former route of the A1.
It was intended the flyover would connect to a new bridge across the River Tyne, but that was never built and responsibility for the structure was passed to the council years later.
The local authority - now run by Reform UK and previously controlled by Labour - said it was planning to involve local people in discussions about the site's future in the "coming months".
