WORK to create the North East’s first triple decker roundabout has reached a major milestone – almost a year since the scheme started.

Over the next few days drivers and residents will see a 400 tonne crane at the Silverlink junction where the A19 meets the A1058 Coast Road in North Tyneside.

The crane will lift 55 huge concrete reinforced beams into place which will form the base of the new bridges.

Three bridges are being put in place, one to support the A1058 Coast Road over the Coast Road roundabout and two to carry the Coast Road roundabout over the newly lowered A19.

This will create the third layer of the junction and will mean drivers can continue straight along the A19 underneath the roundabout.

These 55 beams have been transported from West Mead in Ireland and weigh 35 tonnes each at a length of 22 metres.

Of these beams, 22 have already been put in place on the north bridge of the roundabout.

Highways England assistant project manager Steven Cox said: “This is an exciting milestone because once these bridges are in place we will be able to start creating the underpass which is what obviously will take the most time as we need to remove 80,000 cubic metres of earth.

“It’s great that we have hit this major milestone nearly a year since we started construction.”