Travel Advice

The Tyne Bridge normally carries four lanes of traffic, however has been reduced to just two lanes – one northbound, one southbound - for a minimum of two years.

Please plan ahead to make your journey easier and support us with the bridge restoration. Any new temporary traffic management measures will be outlined in the ‘Drivers’ section below.

We all need to do our bit to help minimise congestion, and ensure the bridge is still available to essential users.

Drivers

Heavy congestion is expected on the Quayside route, Swing Bridge and routes to and from Redheugh Bridge and all approaches to the Tyne Bridge from both Newcastle and Gateshead sides.

Public transport is strongly advised when travelling to and from Newcastle city centre and Gateshead town centre, whether or not you now drive over the Tyne.

For those travelling across the region it is recommended that the trunk roads and other river crossing options outside the central area are utilised, such as the A1, A19, Tyne Tunnel and Scotswood Bridge.

Temporary Traffic Management Measures (updated 11.11.2024)

  • A one-way restriction heading northbound on Lombard Street is in place until spring 2026.

Public Transport

Public transport is strongly recommended when travelling to and from Newcastle city centre, Gateshead town centre and the quayside area.

Working with bus operators, a number of routes used by buses at key junctions have been improved to prioritise buses on the network to help buses keep to schedule.

Ticket offers

The most you will pay for a single bus journey is £2, with prices frozen through Government subsidy until December 2024.

Everyone aged 21 and under can travel by bus for £1 or less - or buy a £3 unlimited day ticket which also includes Metro and the Shields Ferry.

For adults a £6 Day Rover gets you unlimited travel on all bus, Metro and Ferry in Tyne and Wear, including Northern Rail between Sunderland, Newcastle, Metrocentre and Blaydon. A £6.80 Rover lets you extend travel across Northumberland and Durham as well. 

For just £6.80 you can travel all day across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham on any bus, the Metro, Shields Ferry, and the Northern Rail services between Blaydon and Sunderland.

All these fares are available from the bus driver as you board.

As of 1 April 2024, Metro fares start from £1.80 single and £2.90 all day with Pop Pay As You Go on Google Pay or smart card. Find out more via Nexus’s online guidance on Pay As You Go on Metro.

People aged 21 and under can access Pop Blue, a smartcard Metro ticket, which gives young people a £1 single anywhere on the Metro, and has a daily cap of £2.20 for unlimited Metro journeys.

Metro also offers great value season tickets through deals with major employers. Find out more via Nexus’s online guidance on corporate Metro season tickets or get in touch to set up a scheme at your workplace.

Help to plan your journey on all public transport is available online via the Nexus journey planner.

Park & Ride

Metro’s park and ride facilities make using the system easy if you don’t live within walking distance of a station. There are major car parks at 10 suburban stations letting you switch easily from car to Metro. There's free parking on Sundays at the following Metro station car parks: Callerton Parkway, Bank Foot, Regent Centre, Four Lane Ends, Northumberland Park, Hebburn, Stadium of Light and also at Kingston Park.

Help to plan your park and ride is available online via the Nexus parking planner.  

Metrocentre Park and Ride

From 2 April 2024, a park and ride will be available within the Metrocentre Staff and Coach Park, located off A1114 Riverside Way, NE11 9SY. The entrance to the car park is from the roundabout of A1114 and Mandela Way. It is free of charge to park in the designated park and ride area of the car park. Disabled parking facilities are available and designated bays are marked immediately after the coach parking.

You can catch existing service buses which pass by the Park and Ride with buses leaving every few minutes. You will need to pay the relevant bus fare to use the bus for onwards travel. Fares are £2 per person each way, or £1 if you are under 21, or free of charge from 9:30am if you are a concessionary bus pass holder.

Up until 10am on weekdays you can catch a bus from the bus stop next to the Interchange entrance. After 10am you will need to go into the Interchange building (next to the bus stop), across the bridge and catch a bus from Stand L in the Metrocentre Interchange. 

The Park and Ride car park is open at all times and buses start from early in the morning until late at night.  

Bus timetables are available from Timetables & maps - Go North East or see Traveline North East to plan your journey.

Park and Ride for NUFC matches

On NUFC matchdays Go North East run the dedicated X50 service from the Metrocentre Staff and Coach Park. The X50 buses pick you up from within the car park and drop you off outside St James Park and can bring you back after full time. Follow the dedicated signs which advise which area of the car park to use for this service on matchdays. Further details can be found on the designated Go North East webpage.

Active Travel

One footway will be available at all times throughout the Tyne Bridge works. Alternatively, the High Level Bridge provides easy access pedestrian and cyclist routes between Newcastle and Gateshead. Look out for wayfinding signage that will help people accessing the area on foot and on bikes, to link up with other walking and cycling routes in the city.

Secure cycle storage is available at Eldon Garden and Dean Street Multi-Storey Car Parks, with facilities also in development at Grainger Town Multi-Storey Car Park.

Almost all Metro stations offer some form of cycle storage, with secure cycle lockers at many stations. Cycle lockers are free to use and can be accessed with a Pop Pay As You Go card. Access must be added onto your Pop Card at South Gosforth Metro Control Centre. Visit the Nexus Cycle Locker webpage to find out more.

Journey planning

Does changing your routine sound challenging? Try using a journey planner or get an app on your phone.

For businesses and other large organisations, you can get help with travel planning: