Motorists in County Durham are being advised of potential disruption to their journeys following damage to traffic light controls.
Drivers whose route takes them through the A690 Carville and Belmont junction are advised that filter lane closures and ‘no right turns’ are currently in place.
The restrictions have been brought in following a road traffic collision which caused substantial damage to the traffic light control equipment at the junction, as a result of which temporary lights have had to be introduced.
In order to maintain safety while the temporary lights are in place, the filter lanes to turn right off the A690 at the junction are closed, in both directions. Signs advising drivers they cannot turn right are in place.
Anyone wishing to turn right towards Carville from the A690 eastbound will either have to follow a diversion via Houghton-le-Spring, or access the area by heading into Durham past Belmont Business Park and using Broomside Lane.
People wishing to access Belmont Park and Ride from the A690 westbound can follow the diversion around the nearby A1 (M) roundabout.
The lights will be controlled manually at busy times in the interests of keeping traffic moving.
The restrictions are expected to be in place until Friday 10 January when new control equipment is scheduled to be installed.
Dave Wafer, Durham County Council’s strategic traffic manager, said: “These restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of road users until new controls are operational and we ask all motorists to observe them and not take unnecessary risks.
“We would advise drivers who would normally travel through this junction to find an alternative route if possible and if it is not, to allow extra time for their journey.
“As the controller which operates each set of lights is slightly different it’s not simply a case of providing an off the shelf replacement, especially for some of the older installations such as this.
“However we will install new controls as quickly as possible to allow traffic to get back to normal and thank the travelling public in the meantime for its patience and understanding.”
Motorists approaching the junction from Carville will still be able to head east and west on the A690 and straight on, to the park and ride.
Traffic exiting the park and ride will similarly be able to travel in all directions.
