Decision is due on road’s reopening

UPDATE PROMISED ON BUSY COMMUTER ROUTE AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS

COUNCIL bosses have promised to provide answers in January on the long-awaited reopening date of one of Newcastle’s busiest commuter routes.

Killingworth Road, part of the A189 in South Gosforth, has been closed since July 2017 for a heavily delayed £13.5m project to widen the road and install a new Metro bridge.

It was originally due to open last March, before severe complications with gasworks led to the completion date being pushed back to June and then “early 2019”.

For the past six months, Newcastle City Council has been unable to confirm a more specific reopening date for the road.

But fed-up drivers will finally be able to mark the end of the longawaited closure on their calendars when an announcement is made next month.

Cabinet member for transport and air quality Coun Arlene Ainsley said: “We would like to thank the travelling public for their patience during the closure of Killingworth Road and we would like to reassure everyone that we are doing everything we can to reopen this major commuter route as soon as it safe and practicable to do so.

“The delays caused by the overrunning gas works have been well publicised, but this has had a knockon effect on the wider project timeline and the various contractors involved.

“We appreciate the delays have been very frustrating for commuters, which is why we are planning to open the road at the earliest opportunity during its construction. As the road is wider, there is enough space on the carriageway to allow construction teams to work safely alongside two-way traffic.

“Vehicles heading towards Newcastle will use one lane of the new road and cars travelling north will use one lane of the existing carriageway.

“We will make an announcement on the reopening date in early January.”

The road closed on July 20, 2017 for the works, which involve widening the road for an extended pavement, bus lane and cycle lane.

Nexus completed its installation of the new Metro bridge on schedule in September 2017, but Northern Gas Networks’ efforts to divert three gas mains encountered a series of problems.

Multiple reasons for the delays have included the discovery of asbestos, a “labyrinth of utility pipes and old infrastructure” beneath the city, bad weather and land slippage issues.

NGN finally handed the site back to the council on November 1.

Coun Anita Lower, Newcastle Lib Dem opposition leader, said: “This has caused huge problems for traffic all over the area and put pressure on people who live in the area.

“If they have got it right now then great, but I do think it should have been open sooner.

“They started 18 months ago and they have done huge amounts of work, but it should have a definite end date.

“What the council needs to do is be honest and tell us what the situation is.”