Road works to start

A 12-week programme of road works in the area around the Barley Mow roundabout and the Drum Lane junction on the A167 between Chester-le-Street and Birtley is to start on Monday.

The work, which will include improvements to the roundabout and changes to the road layout, is the latest stage of Durham County Council’s Transit 15 project, designed to improve the reliability and predictability of bus journey times on key routes around County Durham.

Temporary traffic management plans will be put in place during the work, which will include the short term closure of the A167/Drum Road junction.

Head of transport, Adrian White said: "This involves widening the carriageway to provide extra lanes to reduce queues both at the roundabout and for vehicles turning into Drum Road.

"By doing this, traffic along the A167 should be able to flow more freely with less congestion, leading to fewer delays to buses and all road users at these busy junctions."

The latest roadworks come just five months after the completion of a major £1.5m scheme to improve the nearby A693 road at the other side of the Drum Industrial Estate, which saw roadworks in place for ten months.

Cllr Neil Foster, the council’s Cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said the Transit 15 programme would help ensure that public transport becomes a more attractive option for people living, working and studying in County Durham.

He added: "By improving the comfort and reliability of buses on key routes such as this one from Birtley to Durham, we hope to encourage more people to take a greener transport option.

"This cuts down on congestion on the roads and reduces the amount of harmful emissions discharging into the air.

"It’s a really important programme and, while I appreciate the road works necessitated by the project may be a short term inconvenience, I hope the end result will prove worthwhile to everyone."