Work on road means closure for 14 weeks

The C12A, between Bowburn and Byers Garth, will be coned off from Monday for work that will make the road part of the new A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn link road.

The 4km road is designed to improve links between the A1(M) and the A19, help the regeneration of east Durham, improve road safety by taking lorries off unsuitable roads and away from residential areas, and improve links to the proposed Tursdale rail freight depot.

The road, which is expected to take 15 months to complete, will run from a new roundabout on the B6291 (formerly the A177), south of the A1(M) interchange at Bowburn, to another roundabout, to be built at Cassop Moor.

Two bridges will be constructed - one crossing the road to Old Quarrington and another providing a farm and bridleway crossing - along with a culvert at the location where the new road crosses Chapman Beck.

The staggered T-junction on the A181 at Byers Garth will become a roundabout.

John Richardson, the council's director of environment, said: "We are implementing the full closure in order to maintain a safe method of working, by removing the need to operate heavy plant and machinery in close proximity to road users.

"Some delays and increased journey times will be inevitable throughout the duration of these works, and we apologise for any inconvenience they cause.

"But carrying out the work without a full closure would involve piecemeal working under traffic-signal controls over a much longer period of time, with even greater delays and disruption to both the travelling public and the scheme itself."

Diversions will be extensively signposted. Traffic approaching from the west will be diverted via the A177 to Shincliffe, then via the B1198 and A181 to Byers Garth.

Traffic from the east will be diverted from the B6291/A181 junction, via Cassop and Quarrington Hill on the B6291, to Coxhoe then to Bowburn.