Gateshead (and Newcastle to a similar extent) suffer due to the 60s roadbuilding, that is also literally half finished,
like the A167(M) Central motorway in Newcastle. At the time, the leader of Newcastle City Council,
T. Dan Smith wanted Newcastle to be "the Brasilia of the North" which included an intensive urban motorway network. After his sandal ridden downfall, we were left with a half finished urban motorway, that cut communities and places in half and has poor (and unsafe) pedestrian thoroughfare and is visually obtrusive. Worse still, the likes of the unfinished Gateshead flyover and the Central Motorway just dump their traffic onto the old roads anyway. Hopefully like with rhe example you posted of Runcorn, the removal of some of the unnecessary and degraded 60s infrastructure will have a halo effect in opening the spaces up again for the benefit of people living next to them, and for future developments that cater to more than just car users.
The present situation highlights international issues but they're particularly acute here. We love planning things, can be good at building things, arent so good at completing things and are bad at maintaining things.
In my grandfather's youth there were 3 bridges, High Level, Swing and Redheugh.
The fist Redheugh was opened in 1871 but by 1897 it waa already having to be replaced. In turn by the 1960s that bridge became inadequate and unsafe leading to the presrnt bridge opened in 1983. It's now in need of significant repairs.
The 4 track King Edward rail bridge came in 1906 now reduced to 3 track.
My father remembered the building of the iconic Tyne Bridge, 4 lanes with tram tracks, opened in 1928. It's now undergoing long delayed major maintenance that seems will take almost as long as it took to build the bridge and cost a lot more.
By the 1960s there were 5 bridges and Vaux Breweries built their flagship Swallow Hotel the Five Bridges just beside the southern end of the now condemned flyover. All was looking so positive, but not everyone felt that way.
The western bypass swept round the south side of Gateshead proving inadequate for the extra traffic it attracted, Tyneside's M25! The old Scotswood Bridge had been replaced by a more robust design, now somewhat forgotten.
The Tyne Tunnel was opened in 1967 and had to be doubled, now forming the A19 Eastern bypass.
In my lifetime we've gained the Queen Elizabeth Metro bridge and the Blinking Eye pedestrian bridge. The High Level Bridge is now much restricted but I recall driving across with buses in both directions.
Back on topic, that flyover has been an eyesore since it was built and needs to go. It contributes very little benefit. Leaving the Metro aside, I sense there are soon going to be concerns about the elevated parts of the Central Motorway through Newcastle. Great North Run participants may have noticed that.
