Weeks of misery for drivers on A1

Mar 17 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

COMMUTERS and shoppers are set for weeks of misery as the region’s busiest road undergoes essential repairs.

The southbound carriageway of the A1 between the Team Valley and the Angel of the North will be closed for maintenance to be carried out on Allerdene Bridge, which crosses the East Coast Main Line.

More than 100,000 vehicles pass over the bridge every day and the work will see a 40mph speed limit in force over a one-mile stretch.

Three slip roads will also be taken out of action by the repairs, which will start of July 25 and last up to 10 weeks in total.

During the process, a series of cameras which measure motorists’ average speed will be in place at a number of locations along the affected stretch.

While the southbound carriageway is closed, a contraflow will be set up, with two lanes running north and one going south. At some stages of the maintenance operation, just two lanes will be in operation, heaping more misery on commuters travelling in and out of the Newcastle/Gateshead area.

Work will be carried out round the clock, seven days a week, for an initial 24 days, followed by a six-week period when additional repairs will be done at night.

The repairs are required to ensure the structure of the bridge does not become dangerously unstable due to the weight of traffic that passes over it.

They have been scheduled to coincide with the summer school holidays in a bid to minimise disruption to commuters.