WORK on a road system for a huge urban development in the North-East is well under way.

A £1.8m slip-road will mark the regional entrance to Newcastle Great Park, a 1,200-acre mixed-use project three miles north-west of Newcastle city centre.

The road will replace the existing northbound slip-road, curving from the A1 beneath the Brunton Lane Bridge to help maintain traffic flow for A1 motorists, park users and all other vehicles.

With £800m worth of private investment, Newcastle Great Park has been hailed as a development that will help the economic resurgence of the region.

Steps are being taken to cope with the inevitable increase in traffic from developments at the project, which include 2,500 homes in the next ten years, a fully-sustainable "town centre" and a business park.

Work has already been carried out to increase the traffic capacity of the North Brunton Interchange and a fully integrated road infrastructure is gradually being put in place throughout the park and surrounding areas.

The new slip-road will leave the A1 further south than the existing one and will connect to the park spine road, instead of directly to North Brunton Interchange.

It will give motorists the option to turn left on to the park or right on to the interchange.