Gateshead’s council leader stands by the management of the A167 flyover amid ongoing concerns from opposition parties
Gateshead: The council leader, Coun Martin Gannon, is backing the way the A167 flyover has been managed. He says they’ve done a good job, but the Lib Dems aren’t so sure.
At a recent council meeting, Gannon thanked everyone involved after the flyover was closed for safety checks. It had some serious issues found on a supporting pillar, which led to its shutdown.
Because of the flyover’s problems, the Tyne and Wear Metro had to stop services below it for a bit, which was a real hassle for commuters. They even had to prop up the structure to keep things running.
Gannon mentioned that the flyover was regularly checked and that they had asked the government for funds to redesign it, but no money came through. He’s trying to clear up some misunderstandings that have popped up on social media.
He insisted that the flyover was well-maintained and that the inspections helped catch the issues before they got worse. He pointed out that in other places, poor management has led to injuries or worse.
While Gannon praised the hard work of the staff, the Lib Dems were a bit skeptical. They abstained from the motion, saying there are still too many questions about how the flyover got into this state.
Coun Ron Beadle from the Lib Dems said it felt odd to thank people for fixing something that shouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. He raised concerns about the inspection schedule, which seemed to change over the years.
Beadle also noted that the council had asked for money to demolish the flyover before, but there were conflicting reports about its lifespan. He’s calling for clear numbers on what it would cost to take it down and rebuild.
In the end, the Labour majority passed the motion to thank everyone involved, but the debate about the flyover’s future is far from over.
