WORK is about to start on the first phase of a development that could transform Middlesbrough's fortunes.

Balfour Beatty has been awarded the £7.3m contract to build an interchange on the A66 to provide access to Middlesbrough's Middlehaven site.

Work on the scheme, which will also improve traffic flow into the town, will start on October 4 and be completed in less than a year.

The work will also improve the quality of the A66.

Tees Valley Regeneration, which has commissioned the scheme, said motorists did not have to worry about disruption because the scheme had been designed to minimise hold-ups. Lane closures would be kept to a minimum, it said.

Balfour Beatty won the contract after developing a diversion scheme that met strict requirements.

Joe Docherty, chief executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, said: "The awarding of this contract is another milestone in the process that will see Middlehaven become a reality.

"The site will soon be a hive of activity and this junction will provide a much-needed access to this key site, which as previously reported, is attracting significant developer interest."

Ian Busby, highway services manager at Middlesbrough Council, said: "This was the best design option in terms of the effects on the motorist, the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the need to preserve the economic vitality of the town."

Murray Easton, divisional director of Balfour Beatty, said: "We are delighted to have won this contract, especially given our early involvement in the development on the stadium access bridge.

"Our planners fully understood the need to minimise disruption on busy roads like the A66 and we are pleased that we were able to come up with the best solution."

* The project is funded by English Partnerships, One NorthEast and the European Regional Development Fund.

Published: 28/09/2004