TRANSPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin officially opened a new £61 million road scheme in the North-East today.

The project will help tackle congestion and increase road capacity in the Gateshead area and help the 116,000 drivers who use the A1 every day.

It is part of £15 billion Government investment to improve connections between cities.

The Highways England scheme covers a four-mile stretch of the A1 from Coal House (junction 67) to Metro Centre (junction 71) and drivers are now able to use an extra lane in each direction as well as two new local link roads.

Over 300 jobs have been created by the project, with 97 per cent of the construction workers required coming from the North-East.

Mr McLoughlin said: “This major upgrade to the A1 is part of the most ambitious, far-reaching road investment strategy for decades.

“It will not only benefit those who use the road every day but deliver jobs and opportunities, benefiting families across the North of England.

“Schemes like this are a crucial part of our plan to create a Northern Powerhouse, connecting our cities and towns and ensuring economic growth is spread more evenly across the UK.”

A new 600 metre bike track has also been created across a footbridge to link up the local cycle network.