MOTORISTS have been thanked for their patience after the weekend closure of the A1 near Catterick to demolish a bridge caused delays and congestion.

The A1 has now re-opened following the demolition of Fort Bridge as part of a project to upgrade the dual carriageway to a three lane motorway between Leeming and Barton.

The road was scheduled to reopen at 6am on Monday morning however the reopening was delayed until 7.30pm.

Heavy congestion was reported, particularly on the A1 north of Scotch Corner prior to the road reopening. 

A broken down lorry on the southbound carriageway also added to the delays.

Delays and jams were also reported over the weekend, with motorists complaining that it was taking two hours to travel along the diversionary route from Scotch Corner to Leeming Richmond.

Among the pinch points was Skeeby Bridge.

Motorists travelling around the closure via the A167 at Croft also faced delays after flood water meant traffic had to pass in single file.  

Contractors for Highways England demolished the bridge during a 34 hour closure to allow space for an extra lane to be added to the road. A new bridge will be rebuilt at a later date.

Photos have also been released showing the demolition in progress over the weekend.

Highways England project manager Tom Howard said: “We would like to thank drivers for their patience  during the closure of the A1 this weekend when local roads were busier than normal.

"The demolition team faced some challenging weather conditions which resulted in the road re-opening slightly later than planned just before 7.30am on Monday morning.

"We publicised this closure well in advance and urged people to plan their journeys to take into account the diversion routes, allowing extra time for their journeys.

"We will continue to work with our partners to minimise disruption as much as possible as we continue to upgrade this section of the A1 to a three lane motorway.”

The new Catterick central junction south of Fort Bridge opened last week, marking a major phase in the construction of the scheme.

Drivers can access the A1 via the new junction without having to travel through Catterick and Brompton on Swale.

The improvements are part of a £380 million Highways England project, which began last year, to widen 12 miles of the A1 in North Yorkshire from dual carriageway to a 3 lane motorway between Leeming and Barton. It is the largest Highways England roads project currently under construction in the country.

As part of the scheme a new local access road alongside the new motorway will be created improving safety for local traffic from the surrounding communities.

When completed the A1 Leeming to Barton scheme will boost the economy by creating a continuous motorway-standard route between London and Newcastle (including the M1 and A1M). It will also improve journey times and increase safety.