THE latest phase of a £500,000 scheme to improve Darlington's roads has been completed.

Darlington Borough Council has invested the money in a series of projects in the town, aimed at enhancing safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

A £23,000 toucan crossing for pedestrians and cyclists has been installed at Fitzwilliam Drive.

A £24,000 pedestrian-only crossing has been built at the junction of Victoria Road and Park Place, to create a safer access for patients using the £1m doctors' surgery.

At Faverdale, another £24,000 crossing has been provided for pupils from the new Alderman Leach Primary School.

Other crossings which have been completed this year by the borough council include one at Whinbush Way, where an £80,000 pedestrian and cycle crossing has been built.

In Neasham Road, £18,000 was spent on upgrading the existing zebra crossing.

A £32,000 crossing was installed at the junction of North Road and St Paul's Terrace.

The North Road and Lowson Street junction pelican crossing has also been upgraded to a puffin crossing at a cost of £29,000.

Other schemes have included the junction of Yarm Road and Hewitson Road where the existing crossing has been upgraded to a crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists. The project cost £45,000.

At Morrisons on North Road, £32,0000 was spent on improving the crossing.

The traffic lights on the Hundens Lane crossing have been upgraded at a cost of £96,000.

Two puffin crossings have also been installed at the junction of Yarm Road and St John's Crescent, and on Salters Lane North, at a cost of £21,000 and £23,000 respectively.

Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "Road safety is a priority for us.

"The work we have carried out so far this year will improve safety for all road users on what are some of the busiest roads in the town."

Money has come from the council's local transport plan.