Demolition of highway flyover in Gateshead UK commences

The Gateshead flyover was built in the 1960s (Image: Gateshead Council)

The work on the Tyne & Wear UK located road bridge, which stretches almost one kilometre (0.6 mile), is expected to take around six months.

Built in the 1960s, the flyover is carried on central piers with the road deck built using post-tensioned concrete and steel tendons.

High-reach excavators will start mechanical demolition on both sides simultaneously to maintain the integrity of the structure. Props and large concrete blocks are required to restrain it during the demolition process.

Jim Smyth, senior agent at BAM, said, “This is a huge undertaking as the flyover is nearly one kilometre long. If it was built today, the designers and contractors would be required by law to leave detailed instructions on how to maintain it and ultimately take it down.

“But it was built in the 60s, so none of those regulations existed. We’ve had to start from scratch, going back through the archives to understand the load paths, how the bridge behaves and how it will behave as we take it down span by span.

“We’ve gone with the option of mechanical demolition. This involves heavy duty, specialist equipment fitted with hydraulic jaws which munch away at the concrete, pulverise the concrete and we will do that span by span, keeping an even balance.”

Anneliese Hutchinson, strategic director for economy, innovation and growth at Gateshead Council, commented, “Our contractors BAM have rightly prioritised safety and a carefully planned demolition programme and now we are seeing that careful preparation work come to fruition.

“BAM and its specialist subcontractors Thompsons are on site six days a week and we will see the concrete of the flyover start to be removed to open up amazing opportunities for regeneration.”

Haul roads have been created either side of the flyover to provide safe working platforms for the removal of waste material from the site.

The materials will be taken for recycling at a nearby Thompsons facility or reused in local construction projects.