ROADWORKS are to take place next week on one of the region’s busiest commuter routes.

Drivers are being warned of potential delays on the A690 heading into Durham City as six-days of resurfacing work gets underway on Monday (Nov 23).

It means a double-whammy of delays for Durham drivers, with two weeks of overnight closures on the A1(M) motorway due to start the same day.

Durham County Council will be carrying out resurfacing work on the southbound section of the A690 dual carriageway, carrying traffic from Sunderland into Durham, between the county border and Rainton Gate.

During the work, a contraflow system will be in operation and five central reservation crossover points will be closed.

Diversion routes for residents living in West Rainton and Rainton Gate will be in place.

John Reed, head of technical services at Durham County Council, said: “This work is part of our essential maintenance programme which is aimed at keeping the county’s roads in good condition.

“We appreciate that this is a busy commuter route in and out of Durham and we would ask road users to be patient and allow extra time for their journeys while we carry out this work.”

Earlier this week, Highways England announced two weeks of overnight roadworks on a 10-mile stretch of the nearby A1(M) for resurfacing of the northbound carriageway between Bowburn and Carrville also due to start on Monday.

That work will see the northbound carriageway closed between 8pm and 6am between Junction 61 and Junction 63 at Chester-le-Street.

Meanwhile, the council has confirmed that a traffic census being carried out on Durham's roads will continue at various locations around the city until the end of the month.