Work to refurbish a gateway to Durham City will begin next month.

Durham County Council will be carrying out works on North Road to enhance the area following the reopening of the city’s bus station.

The works, which will start on Sunday 23 June and last for 14 weeks, will include the removal of temporary bus stops, repairing existing pedestrian guardrails, and refurbishing footpaths and street furniture.

The council will also be resurfacing North Road, including Crossgate Peth and towards Milburngate roundabout.

To complement the works, street lighting equipment will be installed which will project images and patterns onto pavements, and there will also be new lamppost banners for the promotion of festivals and events.

Cllr John Shuttleworth, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for highways, community safety and rural communities, said: “North Road is the gateway to the historic city of Durham and is the first area many visitors see if they arrive by bus or train.

“The enhancements are the final stage of works that have already delivered the new Durham Bus Station and we want to take this opportunity to regenerate North Road and give it a more modern and welcoming first impression. The work will reinforce Durham’s standing as a thriving place to visit; helping attract residents, visitors and shoppers to the city and supporting our independent businesses.”

To reduce disruption, works will be carried out in phases with traffic management signs in place.

The first phase will begin opposite the bus station, working upward towards North Road roundabout, and will take approximately seven weeks. During this time, buses will only be able to turn right out of the station and there will be restricted access to vehicles between 9am and 5pm.

Once the first phase is complete, the second phase will begin from the bus station towards Crossgate Peth for a further seven weeks. During this time buses will only be able to turn left out of the station.

Some bus services will be running revised routes while the work is being carried out, with notices to be published to advise passengers of changes.