Commuters travelling on the A1 in Newcastle will have their journeys severely disrupted as one lane has had to be closed so emergency bridge repair work can get underway.
A lane on the northbound carriageway between junctions 73 and 74 has been closed this week to allow for work to be carried out after an inspection of the Blaydon Haugh Viaduct last Friday (July 22) revealed one of its joints needed urgent repair.
Highway England project manager Mike Hoult said: “This a complex operation which is why it is taking us some time to get the lane back open.”
He added that most of the repairs will be conducted overnight when the entire northbound carriageway of the A1 will be closed to cause as little disruption to travellers as possible.
Once the temporary maintenances have been carried out, they will enable traffic to travel at a speed limit of 50 miles per hour. Highways England plans permanent repairs to take place at the end of the year.
It is likely one lane of the northbound carriageway on the A1 between Derwenthaugh and Scotswood will be closed for the rest of the week to allow construction workers to do their work.
However, this is just another disruption for those who have to regularly use the road, after road works on the western bypass that took two years to complete have just finished, ITV reported.
Mr Hoult realises the inconvenience this week’s work will cause to motorists, and stated: “We would like to thank drivers for their patience while we carry out this repair.” He added that the bridge will be opened again once it is safe for traffic.