Overview
- The A167 flyover, which crews began dismantling Monday, will come down over about six months using machines that bite off the concrete piece by piece.
- Workers started with the central on and off ramps beside the Sunderland Road bus lane, with larger excavators set to break up the three main spans next.
- Teams plan to shift to the Five Bridges area in late June and to Park Lane later in the summer, with the final section above Metro tunnels scheduled for early autumn and its impact still uncertain.
- Explosives were rejected due to Metro tunnels, nearby utilities, a school and live roads, so crews installed 40 ten‑ton steel props and large protective screens to control risk.
- The £18 million teardown is funded by Gateshead Council and the North East mayor, and officials say the cleared site is meant to kick-start town-centre renewal that will likely need government backing.