WORK will start next week on the final phase of a £700,000 upgrade for a road in Weardale.

The second stage of improvements to the 1.75 mile stretch of road between Stanhope and Eastgate gets under way next Tuesday.

Workers from Service Direct, Durham County Council's in house contractor, will carry out the improvements on the A689 through the night in a bid to minimise disruption to motorists. It is expected to take four weeks to complete, during which time eastbound traffic will be diverted from Alston to Crook via the A686, A69 and A68 respectively and the reverse route will apply to traffic travelling west. The work includes carriageway resurfacing, drainage improvements, kerbing and re-alignment of existing stone walls.

Chris Tunstall, the County Council's director of environment and technical services, said: "The carriageway is narrow and the resurfacing works cannot be carried out without closing the stretch of road. It is occasionally necessary to introduce temporary traffic diversions to undertake essential highway maintenance work and this is the case for this scheme.

"Local shops and businesses are unfortunately inconvenienced but I can assure you that every effort will be made to minimise the impact of the works on premises."