It’s good news for north east road users and businesses as the Highways Agency awards the contract for building the congestion-busting A1 Coal House to Metro Centre improvement.
Balfour Beatty will start work this summer to widen around 4 miles of the A1 Western Bypass to three lanes in both directions. As well as adding more capacity on the A1, they will build a new 0.33 mile parallel link road, for north and south-bound traffic, between Lobley Hill and A184 Gateshead Quays junctions.
In July, ahead of construction work starting, public exhibitions will be held to give people more information about the project and how they might be affected while this vital work is carried out. Dates and times will be announced in due course.
Roads Minister Robert Goodwill welcomed today’s award:
“Once completed in spring 2016 the £61 million A1 improvement to the Western Bypass will not only increase capacity by widening the road north to Metro Centre junction and south to Coal House junction, but will also reduce congestion and help economic growth in the area.”