MILLIONS of pounds of Government money is being invested in upgrading the region’s road network.

Durham County Council has been awarded £2.2m to help fund £3.1m worth of improvements to the A167 in Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

Sunderland City Council will receive £1.82m by the Local Pinch Point Fund to put towards a £2.6m project at three troublesome junctions.

All three cross the A19, with the junctions at the A1231, A183 and A690 identified for work to ease congestion by the Sunderland Strategic Junctions Improvement Scheme.

Work on both projects is planned to be completed next year.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced that they were among 62 successful applications nationally and six in the North-East.

He said: “The schemes we have announced are designed to target key bottlenecks around the country, making life easier for the thousands of motorists and businesses who use the local road network every day.”

Other roads in the region that will be improved include the Four Lane Ends and A188 junction improvements on Tyneside, the B6344 near Rothbury, in Northumberland, Ovingham Bridge, near Prudhoe in Northumberland, and the Team Valley Trading Estate in Gateshead.