ROAD closures are on the way as work to improve the junction at Catterick Bridge - due to be completed by the end of March – continues.

The work is part of a joint programme by North Yorkshire County Council and Richmondshire District Council to deliver a £1.6m road upgrading programme at Catterick Garrison.

The aim is to enable extensive town and housing development at Catterick, one of the largest military bases in Europe, and to secure employment growth for the area.

The works will provide junction improvements along the A6136 to help create 1,900 new homes and hundreds of jobs as well as key transport links and fast access to and from the A1 and the region’s major cities.

The final stages of the work at the Catterick Bridge will involve overnight closures to allow resurfacing.

The closures will take place between 8pm and 6am from March 21 to 24. Diversion routes will be in place. Work will not take place over the Easter bank holiday weekend, so there will be no road closures over that period.

The closures have been scheduled to co-ordinate with other closures proposed by the team working on the A1 upgrade.

The county’s executive member for highways, Cllr Don Mackenzie said: “These road improvements will increase the capacity of the A6136, which will address known concerns of local communities and open up additional potential for further opportunities to benefit the area’s growing economy.”

He added: “Although the junction works will be complete by the end of March, the junction will not fully operate as intended until the opening of Fort Bridge as part of the A1 upgrade, which is expected to take place in October.”