PLANS to ease congestion with a second crossing over the River Tees are to be the subject of a public consultation.

A second crossing of the Tees at Middlesbrough is being considered as part of the revised Tees Valley Structure Plan.

It is hoped the crossing would ease traffic congestion at Newport Bridge and the junction of the A66 and A19.

John Lowther, director of the Tees Valley joint strategy unit, said: "This traffic congestion has a high cost to the economy in terms of increased travel time and vehicle operating costs, as well as having an adverse effect on the environment and road safety. It is also difficult for public transport to provide a viable alternative to the private car."

The crossing would also create a diversion of freight transport, with road freight taken away from the residential centre of Teesside and rail freight through Thornaby and Stockton.

The road and rail link would most likely stretch from South Bank to Port Clarence, and would occupy brownfield sites.

The link would be a bridge or tunnel and would connect the A66 South Bank bypass with the A178 Seaton Carew road and the A1185 to Seal Sands.

The rail crossing would link the Tees Valley line to the rail freight line between Port Clarence and Saltholme.

A rail line would also be built between Graythorp and Saltholme to link the Durham Coast rail line, as well as improving rail access to Seal Sands.

The cost has been estimated at about £100m for a road crossing and more for a combined crossing for trains.

The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Tees Valley joint strategy committee tomorrow, and will then be subject of a public consultation before any plans are made.

Councillor Dave Walsh, Tees Valley joint strategy committee chairman said: "I am really pleased that this issue has now finally come back to the public arena.

"A new Tees crossing would play a key role in both easing congestion on the A19 and A66 and would also provide new direct rail links from Middlesbrough to Hartlepool and Wearside.

"From the standpoint of Redcar and Cleveland BoroughCouncil it would also provide a double boost in that it would add value and speed the opening up of disused brownfield land between the A66 and the river for new industrial and commercial sites."