ROAD RAGE
A NEW prop under the A167 Gateshead Highway flyover stands as a metaphor for British transport today. Gateshead council knew for years the 1960s flyover was in poor condition, but the government rejected its bids for demolition funding.
The flyover suddenly closed on 13 December after a concrete pillar was found to be so dodgy that a road underneath also had to be shut – ie the flyover was at risk of collapse even without traffic on it. The Tyne & Wear Metro tunnels, way below the flyover, were also shut for a fortnight, piling Metro replacement buses and probably extra car and taxi traffic on to busy roads before Christmas.