Phase two of £8.1m South Shields highway scheme gets green light

A major highways improvement project for South Shields is now entering its second phase.

The £8.1m scheme to alleviate congestion at the bottleneck junction of the A185 and A194 -the Arches - is said to be running to schedule.

The project involves changing both the Arches and Hobson Way roundabouts into signalised junctions and providing a new one-way link from Hobson Way to Jarrow Road.

The first phase of the works, which began at the end of January, is now complete. It has involved removal of the roundabouts and the central reservation as well as site clearance. Lanes have been narrowed slightly to prepare for upcoming works to the verges.

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: “Things are progressing well with the Arches scheme and we are now moving into phase two.

“In terms of disruption, drivers will see no difference between phase one and phase two. The network will remain fully operational in busy rush hour periods, with all existing lanes remaining open.

“Outside these peak times, people are advised to leave a little extra time for their journeys as there may be delays.”

The second phase will involve constructing an extension of Hobson Way down to Jarrow Road as well as continuing verge works on Newcastle Road.

The Arches has seen a significant increase in traffic flows since the opening of the second Tyne Tunnel.

The project received £7m from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as part of the North East Growth Deal from Government.