New park and ride sites could be set up during the massive restoration of the Tyne Bridge to help ease major traffic jams.
The long-awaited refurbishment of the rusting North East icon could last up to four years and there are worries that the works, which will require the crossing being cut from four to two lanes of traffic, will cause big problems on the region’s roads. Councillors were told on Monday morning that transport bosses could set up new park and ride facilities and put on new bus routes to help reduce the number of cars trying to get in and out of Newcastle city centre, while more people will be encouraged to walk and cycle too.
Listing the possible solutions being considered to alleviate the potential gridlock, Newcastle City Council’s principal engineer Alistair Swan also pledged that access over the bridge for both pedestrians and cyclists would be maintained throughout the works. The Tyne Bridge is used by around 70,000 vehicles every day and Mr Swan added that new studies are being carried out to understand who travels over the grade II* listed landmark and where they come from, with local authority officials also due to reassess that after the start of the new Clean Air Zone tolls at the end of January.
