THE bus network across the Tees Valley is on course to receive £62m over the next three years.

The £40m of Government funding will be topped up with council and private sector contributions, to provide a network of services for town centres.

The cash will be pumped into routes serving:

● Haughton Road, North Road and Yarm Road, in Darlington;

● Raby Road and York Road, in Hartlepool;

● Acklam Road, Cargo Fleet Lane and Marton Road, in Middlesbrough;

● Ormesby Road and West Dyke Road, in Redcar, east Cleveland;

● Durham Road, Norton Road and Yarm Road, in Stockton.

Councillor Peter Jackson, of Hartlepool Borough Council and chairman of Tees Valley Unlimited’s Transport sub-board, said “This is a welcome boost at a time of recession and will see all parts of the Tees Valley benefiting.

“The measures have been developed to give real benefits to the travelling public quickly, and we all look forward to seeing them come to fruition.”

Each route will have new bus stops with raised kerbs, bus priority at traffic signals to help keep buses on time and some bus-only turning areas at junctions.

There will also be investment in new junctions and traffic systems that will benefit all vehicles, not just buses, as well as new bus interchanges in Hartlepool and Redcar.

Hugh Lang, chairman of Tees Valley Unlimited, said: “This planned investment is a direct result of the hard work put in by all of the project partners over the past three years to develop co-ordinated, targeted improvements that meet existing and future needs for the Tees Valley.”

Jonathan May, managing director of Arriva North-East, added: “This is great news for all parties involved and most importantly the bus passengers of Tees Valley.

“We are particularly pleased to see the introduction of additional bus priority measures, including junction improvements and more infrastructure at bus stops, which will contribute to making services more reliable and encourage people to opt for public transport, so reducing congestion.”