00:01The Gateshead flyover has been demolished, but the project is expected to cost more than the Council first planned.
00:06A report due to go before councillors put the forecast at £32.6 million.
00:11That's almost twice the £18 million originally set aside by Gateshead Council.
00:15The structure was closed in December 2024 after concerns it could collapse.
00:20Demolition took six months and was completed on the 1st of October,
00:23but the work is not entirely finished and the final bill is still subject to change.
00:26The Council says it expects to confirm the cost in Spring 2027 once the remaining work has been completed.
00:33A report says contractor BAM gave an initial estimate of £17.3 million in March 2025 for demolishing the structure
00:41in a timely manner.
00:42By July the figure had risen to £31 million as plans became more detailed.
00:47The Council says those early and current figures are not directly comparable.
00:51It points to several costs that were not included in the same way at the start.
00:54These include large steel supports installed to help prevent a collapse, round-the-clock working during some stages,
01:00and measures to protect the East Street Flats.
01:03There was also monitoring of the Metro tunnels beneath the site, along with services and structural checks.
01:08Other costs included moving some East Street residents, higher fuel prices, and shuttle buses while the Five Bridges Roundabout was
01:15closed.
01:16The Council expects the remaining work to finish in December 2026,
01:20the demolition seen by local leaders as an opportunity to reshape the town centre and attract investment.
01:25But government funding for the wider regeneration has yet to be secured.
01:28The noия survey's registered.
01:29So...
