Central Motorway inspections ahead of major maintenance

Inspection works on the Central Motorway are underway ahead of major maintenance later in the year.
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Photo of central motorway's viaducts overlooking Great North Road which is where the inspection work will be carried out

A series of overnight lane closures and lane restrictions will be put in place as inspection work is carried out along the A167 (M) Central Motorway over the coming weeks.

Engineers will carry out inspection work to fully assess the condition of the 1970’s concrete elevated viaduct, which runs from the Great North Road to the New Bridge Street roundabout, ahead of major maintenance later in the year.

The inspection programme is the first phase of maintenance works to A167 (M) as part of a £41.4m package submitted in 2019, which includes the Tyne Bridge restoration. This funding was confirmed in early 2024.

With the Tyne Bridge restoration well underway, Newcastle City Council will carry out inspection works on the Central Motorway, to fully assess the condition of the viaduct structures to inform the programme of maintenance.

Engineers will be on site for up to 10 weeks to carry out inspections and surveying activities, which will require the use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) to fully inspect both the northbound and southbound carriageways on this major route into the city. For the protection of the workforce and the public, lane closures and overnight closures will be required.

Cllr Juna Sathian, cabinet member for Climate and Transport said: “These vital inspection works are part of a major maintenance programme for one of the key routes in the city.

“This will be the first major upgrade to the Central Motorway in over twenty years, and it is important that these works take place to ensure we have robust infrastructure in place in Newcastle to help keep the city moving.

“We’ve worked hard to minimise disruption, but we ask people to please plan ahead and allow more time for their journey as we carry out these vital inspections.”

The inspection works have been carefully planned to minimise disruption to the travelling public. Inspections started on Monday 13 January, with off-peak lane closure to the Jesmond on/off slip roads until 24 January which will have minimal impact on the travelling public. Overnight closures will then be in place on the southbound carriage way for four weeks, starting on the 27 January, with further overnight lane closures required on the Great North Road from the 24 February, for two weeks. Full diversions will be in place and drivers are asked to plan ahead and allow more time for their journey. The full inspection programme will be completed by mid-March.

As with all highways infrastructure in the city, maintenance and inspections are routinely carried out but this will be the first major maintenance to this route since 2004.  Around £9 million will be invested as part of funding from the Major Road Network Fund, which includes the Tyne Bridge as part of a £41.4m package.

Due to rising construction costs and inflation since the original bid was submitted in 2019, the council has had to reprofile the extent of the planned works to prioritise the Tyne Bridge refurbishment. The council continue to lobby for the outstanding £6m pledged as part of the Network North Fund, which would allow them to revisit the scope of works for both schemes.

A full programme will be set out later in the year of the works required, which will involve waterproofing and joint replacement to the top of the deck and concrete and drainage repairs to the underside of the deck and its supporting structure. It is expected that work will begin in summer and subject to work required, could last from 18 – 24 months.