£13.5 million investment to replace Newcastle’s Metro bridge

A £13.5 million investment to install a new Metro bridge and wider road in South Gosford has begun.

The plans for Killingworth Road in South Gosford include the replacing of the Metro bridge and installation of wider road which can accommodate wide pavements and facilities for cyclists, a new bus lane and two car lanes.

Newcastle City Council are working with Nexus on the scheme, as well as bus operators and other partners like Highways England, in order to prepare for the closing of the commuter route and to minimise disruption. The route is now closed until Spring.

The first stage of the project will see Nexus replace the bridge. The train tracks will also be replaced as part of its ongoing £350 million Metro all change modernisation programme.

Once Nexus completes its work, Northern Gas Networks will carry out major utility works which will last until Spring 2018. Once this is complete, the road will re-open.

Arlene Ainsley, cabinet member for transport and air quality said: “This is a major bridge renewal and road widening scheme that will improve connectivity to and from Newcastle. We have put plans in place to help the network cope with the increased demand that the closure will create.

“These plans have been drawn up by neighbouring local authorities and a range of transport operators to ensure the mitigations cater for people travelling to or through the area using all forms of transport.

“These include extra green time on key traffic signals to smooth traffic flow, small changes to some junctions to cope with higher volumes of traffic and more bus provision. We’ve prioritised buses through key junctions and added temporary bus lanes to ensure public transport isn’t held up by the closure. We would encourage people to use public transport and take advantage of the offers that the bus operators are providing during the closure.”