MAJOR work on the main transport route through Durham City has been completed.

The £1m project involved waterproofing, replacing joints, drainage repairs, resurfacing, upgrading streetlights and work to parapets.

The busy route reopened early on Saturday morning ahead of a packed schedule of events in Durham over the weekend.

The bridge maintenance programme, carried out by Durham County Council, started the Monday after the miners’ gala and has been completed within the scheduled seven week timeframe.

Work has continued around the clock with a number of overnight closures over the last week to get the project finished ahead of deadline, following severe weather last weekend.

John Reed, head of technical services, Durham County Council, said: “We are delighted that this complex scheme in the middle of the city centre has finished early, which is down to both the hard work and dedication of the workforce and the cooperation of the public.

“We had expected severe delays throughout the duration of the work; however, although there was some disruption to traffic, congestion has been at a broadly manageable level.

“We would like to thank people for their patience while this essential project was carried out and for supporting us by taking alternative routes and thinking about different travel and work options.”

The council is thanking members of the public for their patience and co-operation during the project.

It said the scheme could have caused severe disruption and although there were some delays, traffic problems were less than predicted.

The council said this was because members of the public took alternative routes, staggered their journeys and used other forms of transport like the Park and Ride.

The bridge, which is nearly 50 years old, was in need of repair as it had been nearly 20 years since its last major renovation.

It is now not expected to need any further major maintenance for around 15 to 20 years.

Members of the public were kept up-to-date with the latest information as the scheme progressed via using a website, though the media, and on social media.

There were also 15 live traffic cameras helping drivers plan their journeys and avoid disruption.

Cllr Brian Stephens, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “We worked extremely hard to make sure everyone was kept informed throughout the project as we understand how frustrating delays on the roads can be.”