Gateshead high street business flyover reaction
Town centre businesses have reported a dip in trade after the closure of the Gateshead Flyover.
Council bosses shut the elevated route, a key thoroughfare for commuters heading into central Newcastle and Gateshead, last Friday night due to “serious concerns” about its structural integrity.
The flyover, and the road underneath it, remains closed and it is unclear at this stage when, if, or to what extent it will be able to reopen.
As local authority staff and engineers continue to assess the state of the 1960s-built structure, there are concerns about the knock-on effects for local businesses at a crucial time of year if people avoid travelling to central Tyneside.
Colin Robinson, of Robinson’s Shoe Repairs in Gateshead town centre, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he had noticed a drop in footfall since the flyover’s closure.
The 62-year-old, whose Jackson Street business has been open for 42 years, said: “This is Christmas week now and it would normally be a lot busier on a Monday than it has been. It can be hard to predict here, but it has definitely been quiet for a Monday.
“I think a lot of people have avoided the area entirely. They have had time to plan over the weekend and take an alternative route.”
Mr Robinson said that he did not expect to see the flyover reopen, with concerns having been raised for years about the deteriorating state of its concrete.
He added: “I know it has been up for demolition for a while and I don’t think they will repair it. I expect the council will demolish it, they have to really.
“If they do repair it then it is going to cost millions, it would be a big job.”
Abbas Kazmi, who runs Kays phone repair shop on Jackson Street, also reported that the town centre trade was slower than usual on Monday.
Mr Kazmi, 23, told the LDRS: “It is definitely quieter than normal. I have only been open here for a month and when I first came it definitely was a bit busier, but it feels completely dead now.
“People had already been complaining about the fact that the street was pretty quiet. For the last two weeks it has been steady footfall at best.
“But when I first came to look at this street two or three months ago, it felt pretty busy. Today it is really quiet.”
Suzy Isaac, of the Microbus pub in Gateshead’s Railway Quarter, said business had been “quiet” – though that was not unusual for during the daytime on a Monday.
She was relieved that traffic on her commute to work on Monday was not as bad as feared, however, saying: “I live in Sheriff Hill and I already have roadworks outside the house, so it has been hard for me to get in here anyway. It hasn’t been that bad so far, though, not as bad as what I had thought.”