Gateshead traffic gridlock prompts urgent investigation

An investigation into traffic chaos has started after council officials admitted congestion in Gateshead last week was "on a scale not seen".

Drivers were gridlocked on Friday and Saturday with some being stuck for more than two hours.

Many blamed traffic restrictions and changes to road layouts near the Tyne Bridge introduced last year.

Gateshead Council said it was looking into the issue as "a matter of urgency".

Sam Shanks, from Heworth, said the jams meant she had difficulty leaving Tesco's car park with vehicles travelling "inch by inch" along Nelson Street.

She described "the smell of burning clutch and the faces of road rage for a solid two-and-a-half hours" until she got out of the jam near the Civic Centre.

"We tried to leave at 1:30 to pick up our daughter from school at 2:30 and we were right at the back corner so didn't realise it was bumper to bumper on the way out," she said.

"We were stuck in the car park with everyone else for two hours.

"We were already committed and in the queue so couldn't park up and abandon the car. Luckily for us my mother-in-law was able to get our daughter. All the shopping was defrosted."

Chris Proud blamed the council's decision to close Askew Road to private cars, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"Askew Road has been a nightmare for years at peak times. Now, due to the bus lane forcing drivers to turn up towards the Civic Centre or cut past Tesco car park, it's chaos."

Sheena Ramsey, chief executive at Gateshead Council, apologised for delays.

She said: "The traffic problems around Gateshead town centre at the end of last week were on a scale not seen previously and we are investigating the causes as a matter of urgency.

"The weekend also saw significant congestion and delays in Newcastle, and it seems crowds attending major cultural and sporting events in the area contributed to that congestion.

"We will look again at how we manage the town centre network and signage, to try to keep traffic moving and avoid delays as far as possible."

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