A £1.4million scheme which aims to improve safety and reduce traffic jams at a busy junction gets underway on Monday.

Durham County Council and Highways England will carry out the work on the A19/A179/B1280 Sheraton junction, near South Wingate, County Durham.

Sheraton was one of a number of traffic hotspots across the country identified by Highways England for improvements.

 

Traffic lights will be installed to reduce the amount of traffic queueing back onto the A19 from the slip roads.

And reducing the speed limit across the junction to 40mph has been proposed in an attempt to make it easier for drivers making right turns.

The work, which is expected to take until spring 2019, will be done in phases with traffic management controls including road closures, sign-posted diversions and lane restrictions at various times and locations.

The council said work will be carried out outside of peak times where possible to minimise disruption.

Dave Wafer, the council’s strategic traffic manager, said: “The Sheraton junction has been the scene of a number of serious accidents in recent years and we are pleased that Highways England has recognised the need for improvements and provided funding.

“The work we are doing will both make the junction safer and reduce queueing, allowing motorists shorter journey times.

“We have planned the scheme to minimise disruption including working at off-peak times where possible however we’d advise anyone using the junction to allow extra time for their journeys."

He thanked drivers in advance for their patience and urged them to exercise caution and care when driving through the roadworks.

Ben Dobson, who is responsible for the A19 at Highways England, said: “We are delighted that work is due to start on a £1.4 million improvement safety scheme to install traffic signals around the A19/A179/B1280 Sheraton junction.When completed this scheme will improve journey times, reduce congestion and improve safety for the thousands of drivers who use this area.

“We have been working closely with Durham County Council which will be carrying out this work on our behalf. This improvement was announced in March 2017 as part of a £220 million Congestion Relief Fund.”

For details visit durham.gov.uk/sheraton