Five years after ushering in a new era for travel in the North East, National Highways’ £130 million A19 Testo’s junction scheme has earned widespread praise for the impact it’s had on journeys, businesses and the regional economy.
It may seem more like five minutes since a 142-metre, 1,300 tonne flyover was built over the iconic South Tyneside roundabout to create better journeys and connections to international gateways and the rest of the country.
For drivers, it was the game changer they’d been crying out for at a junction beset by heavy traffic. It enabled them to travel along the A19 over the roundabout and benefit from new slip roads to the A184. New link roads were also introduced between Downhill Lane and Testo’s to boost journey times and provide new facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
Crucially the scheme supported the Nissan plant – hub of the biggest industrial employer in the region – by removing severe bottlenecks, speeding up freight and workforce travel times, and boosting connections to and from the Tyne Tunnel and national transport networks for vehicle distribution and deliveries. It also directly facilitated access to the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) adjacent to Nissan.
Work began in earnest back in March 2019. More than a million hours of work later – around 60 per cent of that time coming from a local workforce – it opened to traffic in July 2021, having overcome the unprecedented challenge posed by Covid-19.
John McCabe, chief executive at the North East Chamber of Commerce, said:
“Five years on, the A19 Testo’s flyover has shown why investing in strategic infrastructure matters.
“By transforming one of the North East’s busiest congestion hotspots, the upgrade has improved journeys, strengthened connections and supported major employment sites, creating the conditions for businesses to grow and invest.
“The Chamber’s policy priorities are clear that improving transport is fundamental to unlocking the North East economy. The success of Testo’s demonstrates the lasting value of infrastructure that boosts productivity, attracts investment and gives businesses the reliable networks they need to compete and thrive.”
National Highways data shows that on average 104,033 vehicles used the A19 between the A1231 and A194 Leam Lane junctions daily in the period 2023 to 2026, compared to 88,828 in the three years prior to construction, representing an approximate 17.1% growth.
Simon Boyle, Regional Director for National Highways (Yorkshire & North East) said:
“We are so proud of the impact that the A19 Testo’s junction has had. We set ourselves a mission to increase capacity, improve traffic flow and unlock economic growth, which is what we’ve delivered. As our data shows, we created the space that was sorely needed to host thousands of extra vehicles every day, transforming travel in the region.”
The scheme, which earned National Highways and contractors Costain and Jacobs the ‘Civils Project of the Year’ accolade at the Constructing Excellence awards, saved £1.5 million by reusing earth in the landscape and avoiding off-site disposal.
Re-used material from the nearby A1058 Coast Road scheme saved 1,250 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and 500,000 cubic metres of earth were moved, the equivalent of 172 Olympic swimming pools full.
All steel used for the beams was locally sourced from Cleveland Bridge of Darlington, and well over half of the workforce lived locally.
Photo: The A19 Testo’s junction in South Tyneside
