A flyover which has been closed due to concerns about the safety of a concrete pillar had not been inspected weekly, despite claims to the contrary by a council leader.
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon had told the BBC that the A167 Gateshead Highway, which was closed on 13 December, had been inspected ‘every week’.
However, the council has since admitted that, while the flyover was inspected on a regular basis, these assessments were ‘not necessarily’ carried out weekly.
In response to a freedom of information (FOI) request sent by the broadcaster, the council said the road bridge had undergone inspections in 2004, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
A spokesperson said: ‘Over and above these inspections an experienced structural engineer carried out regular, routine inspections of the structure to ensure its structural integrity.’
The spokesperson added that Cllr Gannon’s claim about weekly inspections was a reference to a number of assessments undertaken in 2024.
The council has been contacted to confirm exactly how often these inspections were carried out.
