Yorkshire and North East - Maintenance schemes

A1 Southbound Closure for Emergency Repairs

UPDATE - The A1 southbound is now open at junction 73 - thank you for your patience during these emergency repairs.  

The A1 near Gateshead is closed for emergency repairs to a defective bridge joint.

The southbound carriageway at Junction 73 Swalwell will likely stay closed beyond peak time this evening, for approximately 5 hours.

Emergency repair work is already underway.

Drivers should expect significant delays in the area.

The failed bridge joint was discovered around 1pm today (Tuesday 18 June), initially resulting in the closure of one lane and the southbound on slip road.

A full southbound closure of the A1 is now being installed, between junction 73-71 to safely carry out the repair.

Diversion Route:

Exit the A1 using Derwenthaugh southbound exit, junction 73, and proceed to the end of the slip road.

Travel from the A1 onto the A114 and head east for 1km, going straight at three roundabouts.

Turn right onto the local route at Metrocentre and follow it south for 800m.

Rejoin the A1 using the Metrocentre southbound entry slip, junction 71

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this emergency closure.

Where possible avoid the area, plan your journey and expect long delays.

The Aycliffe Interchange, junction 59, was opened to traffic in 1965 and is a concrete over bridge carrying the A167 over the A1(M).  Recently, through routine maintenance we identified that a section of the concrete bridge deck is in need of repair on the southern side of the junction. Since then we have been developing a scheme to carry out the necessary repairs. 

We are now ready to carry out the repairs and this will involve a full closure of the southern side of the roundabout for 10 weeks as well as night-time closures and a full weekend closure.

The work will include concrete repairs to the southern bridge as well as street lighting renewal and resurfacing.

The southern bridge requires significant repairs to maintain safety, allowing us to re-open both lanes and maintain the bridge for years to come. The investment in the lighting and resurfacing will improve journeys and maintain safety around the junction.

What are we going to be doing?

The work has now started, on Tuesday 2 April and should be complete by mid-Summer 2024.

The project involves three main phases:

• Phase 1 - Bridge deck repairs: Tuesday 2 April - July 2024

  Tuesday 2 April and Wednesday 3 April, overnight closures from 8pm to 6am. The southern side of the roundabout is now closed, as of Friday 5 April, for around 10 weeks to allow the concrete repairs. 

  We have installed narrow lanes on A1 northbound beneath the bridge with 50mph in place for safety, whilst we carry out the repairs on the bridge deck. 

During this phase we will be carrying out hydro-demolition of the existing bridge deck to remove the defective concrete. This is a very technical process and requires significant temporary work and cannot be done in overnight closures.

• Phase 2 - Lighting renewal: mid-May - mid - August 2024

Working around the concrete repairs, there will be additional night-time closures between 8pm - 6am

• Phase 3 - Resurfacing of the roundabout: July 2024

A full weekend closure from Friday 8pm till Monday 6am for one weekend in July 2024, dates to be confirmed.

Please note that the precise dates and times of the works may be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Where possible, we’ll keep you updated of significant changes, through social media and our website.

What does this mean for you?

For road users

To carry out the work safely we will need to use a combination of full closures during the day and over-night.

During the closure, we’ll put diversions routes in place, which are detailed below.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIVERSIONS BELOW

Motorway traffic

For vehicles and drivers who are authorised to use the motorway, the diversion will take road users south on the A1(M) to junction 58, Burtree, before returning northbound on the A1(M) to junction 59 to continue north or to rejoin the A167. This diversion will add an additional 5 minutes of journey time.

Non-motorway traffic

For non-motorway traffic, the diversion is to use the A68, joining on to the A6072, before using B6444 to rejoin the A167. This diversion will add an additional 10 minutes of journey time.

Information for local residents

We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption you may experience during this work. We’ll make every effort to carefully manage noise levels and additional lighting to minimise the impact.

Residents on the official diversion.

There will be increased traffic on the diversion routes and delays are expected. We apologise for any inconvenience or disruption you may experience.

As the work progresses, we will provide regular updates on this page and through our social media channels.

Thank you for your patience and support during this essential work

We are expecting the work to be complete by winter 2024.

Make sure to visit keep up to date on this page and follow us on social media, by following @HighwaysNEast on Twitter or National Highways: North-East on Facebook.

For information about our work on Wentbridge Viaduct and Wentedge Bridge visit our dedicated web page here.

We are carrying out the replacement of the bridge joints and resurfacing the slip roads at the Stallingborough junction roundabout. The Stallingborough bridge carries the A1173 over the A180.

To do this safely we will be closing sections of the junction overnight from Monday 17 June until the end of July 2024. 

Signed diversions will be in place, please allow extra time for your journey. 

For information on our work on the A63 visit our dedicated A63 webpage

As part of our essential safety maintenance we are going to be replacing the safety barrier and upgrading the lighting between South Cave and North Ferriby along with resurfacing the footbridge at Elloughton, to keep road users safe for years to come.

To do this work safely we will use a series of night time closures between 8pm and 6am as well as overnight lane closures. These will alternate between east and westbound as we work with events and other roadworks in the area. Signed diversions will be in place. 

To enable this work to be carried out safely, overnight closures will be implemented on weeknights between 8pm and 6am from Monday (15 July).

Closures will take place, Monday to Friday, in these directions:

•         Week commencing 15 July: Westbound

•         W/C 22 July: Eastbound

•         W/C 29 July: Westbound

Then, for the following four weeks from 5 August, there will be weeknight closures on the eastbound carriageway.

The work is scheduled to carry on until Spring 2025, however this will not be happening continuously.  As the work moves forward, closures will alternate between the east and westbound carriageways as the upgrades are scheduled to accommodate events and other roadworks in the area. To further minimise disruption, the road will not be fully closed in both directions at the same time. However, there will be some further overnight lane closures.

During July, as the scheme progresses, a 40mph speed limit is due to be implemented on this section of the road, with average speed cameras to be installed. Signed diversions will also be in place.

From 5 August, the A63 Elloughton footbridge is also due to be resurfaced. National Highways will use the overnight closures on the A63 to carry out this work.

We are working closely with project teams for other works on the area, such as the M62 Ouse Bridge, to make sure we plan closures carefully and keep any disruption to a minimum. We would strongly advise people travelling in this area to plan extra time for their journeys and to follow the signposted diversions.

For details of our work along the A64 visit our dedicated A64 webpage 

What are we doing?

Safety improvements to 10 gaps in the central reserve between Bowes and the Cumbria border. All gaps, except Rowton Bridge at the Cumbria border, will remain open. New turning bans are proposed where there is no safe facility to reduce speed (no deceleration lane) or insufficient space to accommodate a turning area next to the carriageway. Unless specifically listed below, all other movements will remain available for use. Locations where U-turning is or will be allowed are also noted. Our proposed work includes:

Rowton Bridge

• Closure of central reservation gap
• Installation of signage to reflect changes
• Update of road markings as needed

Old Spital

• U-turn ban preventing traffic turning from the eastbound carriageway onto the westbound carriageway
• Right-turn ban preventing westbound traffic turning north
• Installation of signage to reflect these changes
• Update of road markings as needed, including addition of solar powered road studs
• There is an existing No U-turn from the westbound which will remain

Valley Farm

• Construction of a new vehicle turning area on the north side of the eastbound carriageway, and installation of a new a deceleration lane on the right side of the westbound carriageway to allow traffic to turn from west to eastbound
• U-turn ban preventing traffic turning from eastbound carriageway to the west
• Installation of signage to reflect these changes
• Update of road markings as needed, including addition of solar powered road studs
• When complete, westbound traffic will be able to make a right turn onto the moor and U-turn to the east

Bowes Moor Hotel

• U-turn ban preventing traffic turning from the eastbound carriageway to the westbound carriageway
• Right-turn ban preventing westbound traffic turning north
• Installation of signage to reflect these changes
• Investigating the potential to close the field access on the northern side of the A66
• Update of road markings as needed, including solar powered road studs
• There is an existing No U-turn from the westbound which will remain

Coach and Horses

• Installation of signage
• Update of road markings as needed
• U-turns in both directions are possible at this gap.

Vale House Farm

• Right-turn ban preventing westbound traffic turning north
• Installation of signage and replacement of road markings
• Investigating the potential to close the field access on the northern side of the A66
• Update of road markings as needed
• There is an existing No U-turn from the westbound which will remain
• Eastbound traffic can turn U-turn to the westbound at this gap.

Blue Cap Hall

• 
  Installation of a deceleration lane on the right side of the eastbound carriageway to facilitate right turns to the south
• Installation of improved signage
• Update of road markings as needed, including solar powered road studs
• There is an existing No U-turn from the eastbound which will remain
• Westbound traffic can turn U-turn to the eastbound at this gap.

East Pasture End

• U-turn ban preventing traffic turning from the eastbound carriageway to the westbound carriageway
• Right-turn ban preventing eastbound traffic turning south
• Installation of signage to reflect these changes
• Update of road markings
• Westbound traffic can turn U-turn to the eastbound at this gap.

Mount Pleasant

• Right-turn ban preventing westbound traffic turning north
• Installation of signage to reflect these changes
• Update of road marking as needed, including solar powered road studs
• Movements from the accesses on the north and south will not be impacted
• There is an existing No U-turn from the westbound which will remain
• Eastbound traffic can turn U-turn to the westbound at this gap.

Bowes Snow Gates

• Right-turn ban preventing eastbound traffic turning south
• Installation of improved signage
• Update of road markings as needed
• There is an existing No U-turn from the eastbound which will remain
• Westbound traffic can turn U-turn to the eastbound at this gap.

How are we doing it?

We are still making detailed designs for this work, settling required land purchase and responding to concerns from the public.
If you wish to discuss the scheme further, please contact National Highways at A66CumbriatoBowesGaps@HighwaysEngland.co.uk

We are going to carry out essential resurfacing of the A66 westbound carriageway from Monday 1 July until autumn 2024.

To do this work safely, we will use full westbound closures of the A66 from 8pm to 6am Monday to Friday nights.

This work will be carried out in phases over these phases:

• Scotch Corner to Melsonby crossroads: 12 weeknights between Monday 1 July and Tuesday 16 July. Melsonby crossroads will remain open.
• Scotch Corner to Whinston crossroads: Nine weeknights between Wednesday 17 July and Monday 29 July. Whinston crossroads will remain open.
• Scotch Corner to Hartforth: Six nights between Tuesday 30 July and Tuesday 6 August.

The entire section between Scotch Corner and Hartforth is also due to be closed overnight for two nights during this period. Precise dates will be shared as they are confirmed.

During the day, a temporary 50mph speed limit will remain in place.

Traffic wanting to use the A66 westbound will be diverted up to junction 58 to use the A68 and the A688, HGV’s will be diverted in Barnard Castle to avoid the weight restriction at County Bridge.

Signed diversions will be in place and local access to properties and businesses will be maintained during the work.

If you require access to your property or business during the closure, our engineers will be on the closure points to help you.

We’re sorry for the disruption this work may cause, and we encourage drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time when travelling. We’ll make every effort to ensure the impact on the local community and travelling public is kept to a minimum.

HGV diversion route

Car and vans under 7.5tonnes - camera enforcement in place

M1 junction 43 – 48 Concrete central barrier replacement

What are we doing?

We need to replace the wire rope central barrier with a concrete one, this is to improve safety for drivers.

The scheme has been split into 2 sections and will take around 16 months to complete.

The first section, between junctions 46 and 47 will start in March and is expected to last around 7 months.

The second section, between junctions 43 and 45, which also includes upgrading the LED lighting, will start in August and is expected to take 9 months.

What traffic management will be in place?

To do the work safely we need to close 1 lane on the north and southbound carriageways and the speed limit will be reduced to 50mph as sections of the barrier are removed.

The traffic management will start between junctions 46 and 47 with the first phase. As work progresses, we will extend the traffic management to include junctions 43 to 45. This allows us to reduce the overall duration of the work and maintain safety.

We advise all drivers to allow more time for your journey, with significant delays expected during the evening peak as people leave the Leeds area.

We apologise in advance for any disruption.

We ask drivers plan their journeys, to allow extra time and use alternates where possible.

Why are we replacing the barrier?

Concrete barriers are even stronger than metal ones and significantly reduce the risk of vehicles crossing over from one carriageway to another, improving safety and reducing the duration of incident-related congestion.

Please visit our dedicated Ouse Bridge page for the latest information.

We are replacing the safety barriers (parapets) on 4 bridges at junction 35 of the M62 where it meets the M18. The parapets have reached the end of their serviceable life and are essential to keeping vehicles safe when using the bridges. 

To do this safely we are installing lane closures and a temporary speed limit of 50mph to keep everyone safe. 

The installation of the lane closure will be under a series of 6 overnight closures, signed diversions will be in place. 

Please allow extra time for your journey. 

We’re providing an update on our work to repair a bridge spanning the M180 (near Outmill) following severe damage caused by a lorry hitting the underside of the structure, last year.

As the damage was extensive and asbestos was present, we needed to take time to design, check and approve the work to repair the bridge. During this time, we closed lane 1 of the M180 westbound, to reduce the risk of further impacts on the damaged area.

Following extensive investigations, we are now able to carry out the full repairs on the bridge which include concrete repairs, beam replacements, parapet replacements, new bridge joints, waterproofing and resurfacing.

Work started at the back in January and estimate completion by the end of September, subject to weather conditions under the following road closures.

• Full closure of Derrythorpe Road (the road carried by Mutton Lane Bridge) for the duration of the work Monday 15 January to Friday 28 June 2024.
• Lane 1 closure of the M180 westbound (already in place) for the duration of the work
• A mix of overnight and weekend closures of the M180 in both directions, subject to weather conditions.

Upcoming closures are:

• Monday 15 July - Westbound overnight closures (1 night)
• Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 July - westbound overnight closure (2 nights)
• Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 August - westbound overnight closures (2 nights)
• Wednesday 7 August - eastbound overnight closures (1 night)
• Friday 16 August - westbound overnight closures (1 night)

Weekend Closure

• Friday 26 to Monday 29 July - east and westbound full closure closure from Friday 8pm to Monday 6am

Full signed diversions, agreed with the local authority, will be in place.

• Derrythorpe Road - go via West Butterwick using Clouds Lane, West Street and North Street in both directions.
• M180 eastbound - leave Woodhouse junction 2, onto the A161, A18 until junction with M181 (retail park) then M181 re-joining the M180 at junction 3 eastbound.
• M180 westbound - leave M180 junction 3 north onto the M181 until retail park junction with the A18, west onto A18 onto the junction with the A161, then south to re-join the M180 at junction 2.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this work will cause. If you have any questions or comments please can you contact us on 0300 123 5000 or email info@nationalhighways.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

We need start a major resurfacing project on the A696, affecting both westbound and eastbound lanes, including the roundabouts at Kenton Bar and Prestwick. The work will begin on Monday, 19 August 2024, and is expected to continue until November, weather permitting.

To ensure the safety of all road users, the resurfacing will be carried out from Sunday to Friday, between 8 pm and 6 am. During these hours, local signed diversions will be in place, and a 50mph speed limit will be enforced.

We have worked closely with Newcastle International Airport and Newcastle City Council in developing this essential resurfacing scheme. This collaboration ensures that the work will maintain the safety of all road users moving forward. The resurfacing is essential and must be carried out to keep the road in good condition. All work is subject to weather conditions and dates may change, please check back for regular updates.

Project Phases

Phase 1 - Kenton Bar roundabout East Side

• 19 August 2024 - 29 August 2024
• No access from A1 southbound or A167 to A696

Phase 2 - Kenton Bar West Side

• 29 August 2024 - 7 September 2024
• No access to A696; diversions in place

Phase 3 - A696 full closure westbound

• 9 September 2024 - 17 October 2024
• Full closure of westbound lanes, heading towards Newcastle International Airport

Phase 4 - Prestwick Roundabout

• 17 October 2024 - 01 November 2024
• Diversions in place from Ponteland side

Phase 5 - Airport roundabout

• 01 November – 6 November 2024 
• Temporary traffic lights and local diversions in place

Phase 6 - Eastbound

• 6 November – 30 November
• Local diversions in place

Additional Information

Access to all businesses and properties will be maintained at all times via the appropriate diversions.

Please allow sufficient time for your journeys, especially if you need to catch flights from Newcastle International Airport.

We understand that these works may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate the public's patience and cooperation as we work to improve the quality and safety of the A696.