Work to remove trees ahead of the construction of a new roundabout at a busy junction on the way into Durham has started. The £1.8m scheme will see a new roundabout at the junction of the A167 and B6300, next to the Honest Lawyer Hotel.
The first step is removing trees and vegetation ahead of the bird nesting season before the main construction work starts in June. The main phase of the work is scheduled for the quieter summer months in order to reduce disruption to motorists and because the drier weather should mean the earth-moving operation is more straight forward.
Adrian White, Durham County Council’s head of transport, said: “We are aware that some motorists avoid the junction due to a difficulty in pulling out into the traffic, while others are tempted to perform a u-turn onto the busy A167, which has obvious safety implications.
“The junction improvement, which is due to be completed by January 2015, is the latest in a programme of works to improve the efficiency and safety of our road network targeted at areas which will assist the economic regeneration of the county.”
The improved access to Meadowfield will assist existing businesses and help to convince others this remains an attractive area for investment. Motorists are being assured that the council will be making every effort to keep delays to minimum. However, some disruption should be expected due to the scale of the works.