New bus lane and crossings coming to the Great North Road in Gosforth

The Great North Road is one of Gosforth's busiest arteries — the route thousands of us use every day to reach the High Street, the Town Moor, the racecourse and the roads north out of the city. So changes to how it works matter, whether you drive, catch the bus, or cross it on foot. Newcastle City Council is now delivering a set of improvements along the corridor, and here is what they mean in practice.

More reliable buses northbound

The headline change is extra bus priority heading north. As Newcastle City Council sets out, a new northbound bus lane is being added between Forsyth Road and the approach to the Blue House roundabout, with a further section on the flyover from the Great North Road towards the Rotary Way roundabout.

The aim is to keep buses moving through the points where they most often get held up in traffic, making services more punctual and, the council hopes, a more appealing alternative to the car for local trips. For anyone who relies on the bus to get into town or up to Regent Centre, more consistent journey times are a welcome prospect.

Safer places to cross

There is also good news for people on foot. The existing pedestrian refuge near the entrance to High Gosforth Park and the racecourse is being replaced with a signalised puffin crossing — a controlled crossing that uses sensors to detect when people are still crossing and hold the traffic accordingly, rather than working to a fixed timer.

Replacing an island refuge with a proper signalised crossing should make that stretch noticeably easier and safer to cross, particularly for families, older residents and anyone heading to events at the park.

When it is happening

The council says it has completed its consultation on the proposals and is now progressing with the plans. Firm completion dates had not been published at the time of writing, so expect some temporary disruption while the works are carried out — worth keeping in mind if the Great North Road is part of your regular route.

We will update this page as the council confirms more detail.