https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2l61n5g3vo

Not worth creating a new thread. So thought I'd chuck it in here. 

Gateshead is going to be carnage.

I’d imagine anyone in service delivery who has hair or doesn’t drink will soon be a bald alcoholic

No sugar coating this one. Incredibly disruptive around GNEs biggest hub and no real clear alternatives available.

Anything up or down Durham Road or Old Durham Rd is as they say….fucked

(14 Dec 2024, 12:03 am)Ambassador wrote I’d imagine anyone in service delivery who has hair or doesn’t drink will soon be a bald alcoholic

No sugar coating this one. Incredibly disruptive around GNEs biggest hub and no real clear alternatives available.

Anything up or down Durham Road or Old Durham Rd is as they say….fucked

It's all good that the leader of the council who couldn't maintain the road isn't the head of transport in the North East. Oh hang on...

That will be me not making a final visit to Newcastle before Christmas, then.

Interesting to note that a speed restriction is in place on the Metro in the Gateshead area. That cannot be a coincidence. The line goes under a stretch of the affected road infrastructure

(14 Dec 2024, 9:11 am)DeltaMan wrote Interesting to note that a speed restriction is in place on the Metro in the Gateshead area. That cannot be a coincidence. The line goes under a stretch of the affected road infrastructure

They're saying the restriction has been lifted by 20kmh now. 

Speed restriction raised on the Metro
Nexus has confirmed that the speed restriction between Gateshead and Gateshead Stadium stations has been increased from 10km/h on Saturday to 30km/h on Sunday.
Delays remain on the service, but a Nexus spokesperson said that they are not to the extent of yesterdays.
 

 
Ffs. No idea why it's so small. 

But essentially, it has gone from 10kmh to 30kmh.

If they decide to swamp the Askew Road Bus Gate with cars then the buses really will be knackered and even less attractive to use. 
Seems like a crazy idea to remove what little bus priorities there are, but politicians usually favour the screaming motorists in fear of getting voted out.

(15 Dec 2024, 9:27 pm)ne14ne1 wrote If they decide to swamp the Askew Road Bus Gate with cars then the buses really will be knackered and even less attractive to use. 
Seems like a crazy idea to remove what little bus priorities there are, but politicians usually favour the screaming motorists in fear of getting voted out.

But if they don't, Gateshead will be gridlocked, any bus priorities will prove to be as much use as a chocolate fireguard, and the buses will still be knackered. I think, in this case, it's best to keep the traffic moving as freely as possible using the most direct route.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co....3lg11o.amp

Some of the latest diversions. 

If you're heading west along Sunderland Road - the official diversion involves heading south on to Old Durham Road and then west on to Valley Drive.

(15 Dec 2024, 9:39 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co....3lg11o.amp

Some of the latest diversions. 

If you're heading west along Sunderland Road - the official diversion involves heading south on to Old Durham Road and then west on to Valley Drive.

I saw that.

Surely it would be better to head up towards Wellington Street in Felling, along Split Crow Road, then down Shipcote Terrace onto Durham Road.

(15 Dec 2024, 9:35 pm)MurdnunoC wrote But if they don't, Gateshead will be gridlocked, any bus priorities will prove to be as much use as a chocolate fireguard, and the buses will still be knackered. I think, in this case, it's best to keep the traffic moving as freely as possible using the most direct route.

Opening up the Askew Road Bus Gate to all traffic will not only have major impact on buses but general traffic on the Tyne Bridge approach too - the very reason Askew Rd east was made bus only in the first place.

(15 Dec 2024, 10:03 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Opening up the Askew Road Bus Gate to all traffic will not only have major impact on buses but general traffic on the Tyne Bridge approach too - the very reason Askew Rd east was made bus only in the first place.

I guess we'll just have to see how bad it is tomorrow.

Should be fun.

(15 Dec 2024, 9:41 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I saw that.

Surely it would be better to head up towards Wellington Street in Felling, along Split Crow Road, then down Shipcote Terrace onto Durham Road.

I imagine there's gonna be a lot of rat runs for those who know the road network. 

Either way, it's going to be a mess.

(15 Dec 2024, 10:03 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Opening up the Askew Road Bus Gate to all traffic will not only have major impact on buses but general traffic on the Tyne Bridge approach too - the very reason Askew Rd east was made bus only in the first place.

To be fair I'd reopen it now but totally rejig the rest of the network.

What they need to do asap, is turn the whole of Gateshead into one gyrotory like the below, with the red bits being buses only:


It means you'd have all the traffic going in the same direction and kill of numerous crossing points including at the Tyne Bridge which would effectively become free flow onto the bridge since all the cross movements are now removed.

It just couldn't be done in the past because of where the flyover ended.

The likes of the X24/X34, 93/94 will have to find a longer route but they'll benefit by the area around The Sage no longer becoming a rat run as it brings you back to square one.

Is the tyne bridge works effecting buses crossing it? i know that may seem like a silly thing to say but i hadn't noticed any delays until Saturday when they numpties at GO NORTH EAST decided to turn an HOURLY SERVICE at gateshead leaving a lot of people stranded! A simple call to the x21 or x that were at eldon square telling them to tell CUSTOMERS to jump on and get the bus from Gateshead would have don but no they left their VALUED CUSTOMERS standing for an hour plus!!!

(15 Dec 2024, 10:03 pm)e14ne1 wrote Opening up the Askew Road Bus Gate to all traffic will not only have major impact on buses but general traffic on the Tyne Bridge approach too - the very reason Askew Rd east was made bus only in the first place.

Yep, and it's an extremely regressive step. Even with the Tyne Bridge part closure, the bus lanes in and out of Gateshead and across the Tyne, have been functioning brilliantly. I'm rarely delayed on the bus in to town, whilst colleagues are (or were!) sat on the Gateshead flyover for ages. 

It'll be gridlocked for cars, especially on Charles Street, but most motorists will still sit there like lemmings, whatever you try and do. It'd be a good opportunity for them to try public transport.

From what I've observed today via Bustimes, most of the X1s and 56s have made it in and out of Newcastle unscathed. Which I guess is as good an argument as any for keeping all the bus priority in place!

Good to see comms from Gateshead Council confirming the Askew Road Bus Gate will not be opened up to general traffic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2dxn773982o

Going from bad to worse!

So I won't be going to Newcastle anytime soon. Tyne Tunnel is down to one lane on weekends and is 2.40. Tyne Bridge down to one lane, Gateshead flyover closed. No metros. Redheugh Bridge structural concerns. The swing bridge is sinking. High-Level Bridge is the only bridge that's actually still 100% safe and that's always closed because someone is jumping off it.