DRIVERS are being urged to exercise patience while engineers improve an accident blackspot.

Greystones roundabout, on the outskirts of Redcar, is notorious for accidents.

According to a Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council report, the majority of accidents are due to the uncertainty of drivers entering the roundabout.

A £360,000 package of safety improvements has been announced for Greystones, where the volume of traffic converging on the roundabout leads to peak-hour delays of up to 17 minutes, and traffic jams half a mile long.

The work will see the installation of peak-hour traffic lights, the creation of a dedicated left-turn filter lane on the west-bound carriageway, and widening of traffic lanes.

Round-the-clock work starts on June 21. Contractors are being offered bonuses to encourage them to finish within the seven-week allotted timescale.

The roundabout has the third worst accident record in the Redcar and Cleveland council area, and has had a poor record for many years.

Graham Littlechild, project manager for the Highways Agency, said the improvements would be welcomed locally.

"However, partial road closures, with associated traffic management may be necessary to enable the scheme to be constructed, although these will be limited in order to minimise the effect on road users," he said.

"Delays at this roundabout, experienced by motorists at peak times, will be greatly reduced.

"The scheme will benefit local motorists as well as improving access to the extensive chemical and other industrial sites south of the Tees, and areas east of Middlesbrough, such as Redcar, Saltburn and the North York Moors National Park."

There will be off-peak and overnight lane closures. Partial road closures will be restricted to between 10pm on Saturdays and 7am on Sundays. Diversion routes will be signposted, and a 50mph speed limit will be in force.