Work to improve safety and reduce congestion at a busy junction has been completed with the newly built roundabout officially opened.
The £1.8m Durham County Council project involved replacing the T-junction at the intersection of the A167 and B6300 at Sunderland Bridge, next to the Honest Lawyer Hotel, with a roundabout.
The project aimed to improve safety following a number of accidents at the junction and to reduce congestion during peak times. It is hoped the improved access to the nearby Meadowfield Industrial Estate will also encourage more businesses to locate there.
The first phase of work saw 8,779 cubic meters of material imported and used to build earth embankments on the east and west of the A167 and was completed in December. Due to the nature of the soft ground next to the river the material had to be left to stand for three months to allow for settlement before the roundabout could be built.
The new roundabout scheme was chosen over traffic signals as it means existing flood defences will be easier to adapt if any improvements are needed in the future.
Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “Investing in the new roundabout means a safer and quicker journey for thousands of people every day.
We’ve already received a lot of positive feedback about the project and we’d like to thank the public for their patience while we carried out this vital upgrade.”
