DISRUPTION will be kept to a minimum when work starts on a A66 interchange next month, says the firm contracted to carry out the work.

Balfour Beatty has assured motorists the £7.3m project, to build the new road layout to provide access to Middlesbrough's Middlehaven site, will not bring rush-hour traffic delays.

Work on the 12-month scheme, to improve access to the town, is scheduled to start next Monday.

Middlesbrough Council and development partner Tees Valley Regeneration (TVR) have told the contractors they want to minimise the number of lane closures on the A66, Shepherdson Way and Borough Road.

Balfour Beatty has developed a diversion scheme to combat the strict conditions. The road scheme will see the North Ormesby roundabout, which gives access to the Riverside Stadium, replaced with a new interchange.

Supporters will need to be aware that as a result of the works, some unofficial parking spaces in Moor Road and Trinity Crescent will not be available.

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

Murray Easton, divisional director of Balfour Beatty, said: "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."

Temporary carriageways will be created to maintain the traffic flow as well as possible.