Vandals have damaged speed monitoring equipment on a notorious road where 19,000 drivers were caught breaking the 20mph limit in just one week.
Figures recorded during a week last October revealed the shocking scale of speeding in Hollywood Avenue in Gosforth, after the Salters Bridge rat run was opened to traffic for the first time in two years.
Some drivers were caught going at more than 60mph on the residential street, and city transport chiefs have been carrying out more investigations this month to see if the situation has improved at all.
But shocked residents discovered on Tuesday morning that traffic monitoring cables had been cut.
Newcastle City Council confirmed that the equipment has now been replaced and that the act of vandalism “will not hamper our progress” in determining whether to close the historic bridge permanently, as data had been collected since January 17.
A spokesperson said: “We became aware of damage to our monitoring equipment to Salters Bridge on Tuesday. The damaged equipment has been replaced and is back monitoring traffic counts.
“Although it is concerning that this happened, it will not hamper our progress as we have gathered sufficient data for this count stage, as well as a significant amount of information over different time periods which will help inform the decision-making on the long-term future of the bridge.
“There are serious road safety issues with Salters Bridge and Hollywood Avenue which we need to address with reckless driver behaviour including speeding and vehicles flouting weight restrictions.
“A report is being finalised, setting out all of the information we have collected, including speeds, volume of traffic, air quality and types of vehicle using the Grade 1 listed bridge and it will be publicly available and form part of our public consultation in the next few weeks.”
When the bridge re-opened in October to help with traffic disruption on nearby Killingworth Road, council bosses said it would take until March at the earliest to pedestrianise Salters Bridge permanently.
Furious residents have complained of speeding vehicles, long queues, and oversized vehicles trying to cross the medieval bridge in recent months.
Campaigner Audrey Macnaughton said: “It is getting worse. We are used to the average speed now being about 25 or 26mph, but you still get people doing 50mph.
“The amount of traffic has been slowly creeping up. There aren’t as many issues with Killingworth Road and Haddricks Mill now, so people are no longer avoiding the area entirely.
“The volume of traffic is much more continuous.”
Northumbria Police insisted it has “been listening to the concerns of residents on Hollywood Avenue for some time”, amid anger that speeding drivers are only sent warning letters for flouting the 20mph limit.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Euan Faulke said: “Officers have carried out patrols in the area and community speedwatch has also been conducted on the road. That has led to a number of drivers being contacted and warned about their behaviour in the area. If they continue to exceed the speed limit then they could face a criminal prosecution.
“We do have plans to meet with residents in the area to see what long-term preventative measures can be put in place to reduce reports of speeding on Hollywood Avenue. However, that meeting is independent of the public consultation set to take place on the future of Salter’s Bridge.”
