Bridge of sorrows
A HISTORIC bridge closed to stop drivers using it as a rat run to avoid roadworks may never reopen – it has emerged.
Salters Bridge between Hollywood Avenue, in Gosforth, Newcastle, and Salters Lane, in Longbenton, North Tyneside, is closed to traffic as part of the Killingworth Road improvements.
Already a Metro bridge has been removed and the road will be widened to introduce a bus lane, cycle land and wider pavements.
Newcastle City Council closed the bridge, which is Grade I listed and dates from the 1800s, over the Ouseburn to stop diverted traffic passing through the residential street to get to Gosforth.
Now the council has launched a consultation over the future of the bridge following the completion of the roadworks.
Pedestrians and cyclists are still able to use the bridge but the road has been blocked off to cars since July.
Eddie Darke, Labour councillor for Longbenton, believes a potential closure would be unpopular in his ward. He said: “I would say 99% of the people in Longbenton want that bridge to reopen.
“I’ve been passing the message on about the consultation.
“It’s a well used track for all of people, not just from Longbenton, as a way to get to Gosforth.
“It would be a disruption for a lot of people.”
Cyclist Andrew Lambert, who lives in the Garden Village area near to Hollywood Avenue coruns the Gosforth Traffic Facebook group.
He said the potential closure has split opinion. The 44-year-old said: “There’s a vocal group of people adamant they want it closed off because it’s lovely and quiet but the wider community say it would be better left open.
“About two years ago the council proposed an experimental closure which caused a lot of fuss. There was a lot of noise made by the people who didn’t want it closed.”
Mr Lambert, an IT manager at Newcastle University, said drivers have to take a mile-long diversion away from the closed bridge which means five minute journeys can now take 20 minutes.
He added: “We’re quite concerned about the impact of being cut off from friends and family. It’s going to impact the surrounding areas of Longbenton, Killingworth, South Gosforth and High Heaton.
“I get why people want it closed but I think there are much wider consequences to closing that bridge than one street.”
Newcastle City Council said it is considering the views of residents and businesses near to the bridge and the consultation is set to run until November 6.
Killingworth Road is expected to remain closed until Spring next year, with Northern Gas Network scheduled to carry out major work changing pipes this month.
A spokesperson for the council said: “Salters Bridge is currently closed to vehicles as part of the measures put in place to manage the road network around the Killingworth Road closure.
“We want to know what people think about the closure and about what should happen once the improvements on Killingworth Road have been completed.
“We’ve liaised closely with local people during the planning and delivery of the Killingworth Road improvements and this consultation is the latest stage in that process of community engagement.”
To share your views, head to the Let’s Talk section of the Newcastle City Council website.
CLOSURE THREAT SPARKS A ROW