'Heavy congestion' expected during bridge closure

A council has warned of heavy road congestion when a key bridge across the River Tyne closes for 10 days at the end of the week.

Newcastle City Council said Tyne Bridge will be completely closed to all vehicles, as well as pedestrians and cyclists, between 23 October and 2 November, with dense traffic likely on both sides of the river

The closure will allow scaffolding to be constructed above the road - effectively forming a tunnel across the bridge - to allow engineers to work without impeding traffic when they restore its main arch early next year.

Workers aim to complete around 70% of the scaffolding, with the remainder scheduled during weekday overnight closures for a further four weeks.

The overnight closures will be delayed until 23:00 to accommodate those travelling to the football or other large events, such as the Newcastle Christmas Light Switch on.

The restoration of the bridge, which carries traffic across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead, has been ongoing since April 2024 and is set for completion by October 2028 - when the bridge marks its centenary.

The local authority said "heavy congestion" should be expected during the 10-day closure, with roads across Newcastle, Gateshead, and wider Tyneside likely to be "significantly busier than usual".

It advised people to use public transport where possible when travelling.

Those travelling across the region are advised to avoid travel through the centre of Newcastle and Gateshead, and instead stay on major trunk roads and use other river crossings - such as the A1, A19 Tyne Tunnel, and Scotswood Bridge.

Pedestrians and cyclists will need to use alternative river crossings, such as the Gateshead Millenium Bridge, Swing Bridge and High Level Bridge.

Buses users have been told to check with their service operator for any impact to services, with most buses using diverted routes.

Metro services will operate as usual between Newcastle city centre stations and Gateshead, as well as between the airport and South Hylton (Green Line) and between Monkseaton and South Shields (Yellow Line).

However, due to improvement works, buses will replace metro trains between St James and Monkseaton for nine days, from 24 October to 1 November.

The council also recommended using park-and-ride sites to access the city centre.

Council leader Colin Ferguson said: "We need the closure in place this half term - getting this structure built before the bad weather sets in, when traffic is lighter, and well ahead of impacting on the busy festive period - for our local economy."

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