HIGHWAYS chiefs have promised a major resurfacing project on the A1 will cause minimum disruption to motorists.

The work on the six-mile stretch of road, north-bound from Leeming Bar to Catterick South, gets under way tomorrow and will last for 24 nights.

The £930,000 project will see worn-out surfacing replaced with a new noise-reducing material, which officials say will provide a safer road, with improved skid resistance.

Work will be carried out at night, with traffic being diverted on to a contraflow on the south-bound carriageway.

The contraflow will be in place from Monday to Thursday, 7pm to 7am, Friday 9pm to 9am, Saturday 7pm to 9am, and Sunday 9pm to 7am.

All central reservation gaps and lay-bys will be closed and a 50mph speed limit will be in operation 24 hours a day.

Highways Agency project manager Alan Begg said yesterday: "The agency is making every effort to minimise disruption to traffic by careful traffic management and by restricting the main works to night-time only.