WORK to improve County Durham's roughest stretch of road starts on Monday and drivers can expect delays over the next few months.

Durham County Council highways chiefs consider the A689 between Stanhope and Eastgate, in Weardale, to have the worst surface of any major road in the county.

A four-week maintenance project starts on Monday on a 1.2k stretch west of Stanhope.

Work involves relaying the carriageway and footpath, field access and kerbing work and replacing road markings and traffic signs.

The second phase is scheduled for next summer, when work will mainly be done overnight because the road will have to be closed.

Chris Tunstall, the county council's director of environment and technical services, advised motorists to avoid the area or allow extra travelling time.

He said there would be some traffic disruption during the first phase of work because the width of the road would be restricted.