CIVIL engineering company Wrekin Construction has won the contract to build a £4m road system in central Stockton.

The one-way system should allow easier access to the town centre and the site of Tees Valley Regeneration's Northbank development.

Wrekin, which has expanded its northern regional office in the past three years to handle schemes in the Tees Valley area, will start work later this month.

The company, which employs about 700 people in the UK, will have a team of up to 35 on site in Stockton including five young trainees.

The 65-week contract will see Maritime Road become a dual carriageway with a realigned junction on to Portrack Lane.

A link from the one-way system will also lead to the opening up of the Northbank site.

Northbank, which will revitalise the riverside with new homes, offices, a hotel, restaurant and pub, will be linked to Stockton town centre by a road network and across the river to Thornaby by a new bridge.

It is also hoped the system will ease congestion.