The completion date of road works near the A19 set to reduce congestion along a well-used County Durham road has been delayed due to "unforeseen" circumstances.

Roadworks by the B1404 Seaton Lane, near Seaham, are set to continue due to "unforeseeable unrecorded public utilities" the council has confirmed, which will impact the finishing date.

The works have been ongoing since April and at one point the southbound A19 slip road was closed.

When complete, the roundabout will link the slip road to the nearby A1018 while maintaining its connection with the B1404 Seaton Lane.

Part of the A1018 will be made two-way, giving Sunderland-bound drivers exiting the A19 southbound a new route that avoids the Seaton Lane crossroads.

While the works were expected to be completed this summer, no official completion date has been confirmed.

Mark Jackson, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “We are really pleased to be nearing completion of this significant scheme which has benefitted from a £5.6 million investment by Homes England.

“Peak-time congestion has become more frequent at the Seaton Lane crossroads in recent years, but this project will allow all those coming off the A19 towards Ryhope and Sunderland to take a new alternative route.

Recommended:

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £2 for 2 months for a limited time only here.

“This will make such a difference to drivers and those living nearby. As well as facilitating more housing in Seaham and south Sunderland, it will redirect traffic away from Seaton Lane, improving the quality of life for people living in the area.

“We have encountered some unforeseeable unrecorded public utilities which have impacted our target opening date but work on site is nearing completion with final design checks underway, in accordance with standard industry procedures on projects which involve changes to road layout.

“We will be releasing details of an opening date as soon as we can and thank the travelling public for their patience and understanding while we complete this important project.”