00:01A road between Park Lane and five bridges in Gateshead remains closed after damage during
00:05the demolition of the A167 flyover. A councillor wants it reopened, but Gateshead Council says
00:11its future must be considered as part of the wider road network. At a council scrutiny
00:15committee, Labour councillor John Adams, the Saltwell representative, questioned traffic
00:20arrangements. He said more cars were using Prince Consort Road, which he described as
00:25narrow and without bus or cycle lanes. He would prefer traffic to use Durham Road, which
00:30he believes is more suitable for higher volumes. He asked when a decision would be made about
00:35reopening the link. The council says bringing it back into use cannot be considered in
00:40isolation. Councillors were told traffic modelling work is being looked into, with findings due
00:46to be presented to Cabinet at a later date. No timetable was given. The area is part of
00:51regeneration plans. The council says it's planning thousands of new homes nearby and wants residents
00:56to help shape what happens next. A consultation on the area around the demolished flyover is
01:02planned in the coming months. Separately, a wider consultation on Gateshead Town Centre regeneration
01:08is expected to open later this month. A petition calling for the link road to be retained has
01:13gathered a thousand signatures. It says the closure has led to traffic bottlenecks and disruption
01:18for motorists, workers and delivery drivers. That's the petitions view. The council hasn't
01:24announced whether the road will reopen or if it will remain closed.
