Member Article

£7.5m major transport scheme set to start

Motorists are being advised to expect delays as a major £7.5m highways improvement project gets underway in South Tyneside next month.

The roadworks are designed to improve traffic flow on Leam Lane (A194) by widening the Lindisfarne and John Reid roundabouts and making the carriageway in between three lanes instead of two.

The improvements, which will also include flood alleviation works, are scheduled to take 12 months to complete.

The scheme is designed to reduce accidents and ease congestion for motorists entering and leaving the Borough at this key junction. The roundabouts and Leam Lane will remain open for the duration of the works, with two lanes in operation during peak periods.

Construction company Galliford Try Infrastructure is delivering the project on behalf of South Tyneside Council.

Councillor Allan West, lead member for Housing and Transport at South Tyneside Council, said: “Good transport networks are key to boosting the Borough’s economy and maximising employment and investment opportunities.

“Lindisfarne is a main gateway for people coming in and out of South Tyneside and for connecting people to the A19, so reducing congestion in this area is a priority for the council.

“Not only will these works cut journey times, especially during rush hours, but it will improve road safety, benefiting both commuters and people who live locally.

He added: “Disruption will be kept to a minimum and two lanes will remain open at peak times. However outside these hours it is advisable to allow a little extra time for your journey or find an alternative route.”

The Lindisfarne scheme is the first phase of a wider blueprint of strategic transport investment projects that are proposed to help reduce congestion, boost the economic potential of the A19 corridor and establish a strategic gateway into South Tyneside.

Other projects will include the Arches junction (A194/A185) at Tyne Dock in South Shields and the approach to Testos Roundabout (A19/A185).

Galliford Try’s business development manager Gino Salvatore said: “As part of our commitment to achieving the highest possible standards of operational excellence, we will be monitoring every stage of the project to ensure that our work does not cause undue disturbance, inconvenience or stress.”

The project received £6.1m from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as part of the North East Growth Deal from Government.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Bdaily Publishing .