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Road schemes causing delays for drivers
The Stockton Road and Oxford Road junction
DRIVERS across Hartlepool should expect delays being caused by three schemes affecting traffic flow.
Key routes in and around the town have been clogged up in recent days, especially at peak times, with several works taking place on main routes.
An eight-week scheme to carry out sewerage and reduce the risk of flooding in the Powlett Road area saw parts of Amberton Road and Lancaster Road closed last week.
Water board chiefs have apologised for any inconvenience and diversions will be put in place along Raby Road and along Middleton Road, back on to Marina Way, for the next seven weeks while the £650,000 scheme is worked on by Northumbria Water.
Motorists at the corner of Stockton Road and Oxford Road have also had to deal with roadworks while Hartlepool Borough Council widens the carriageway.
And drivers heading towards Seaton Carew from the town centre have also been faced with disruption after emergency work to repair a gas leak on Mainsforth Terrace saw a section of the road closed on the approach to Newburn Bridge.
A spokeswoman for Northern Gas Networks, which carried out the emergency work on Mainsforth Terrace, said: “Northern Gas Networks has been carrying out urgent work to repair a gas main on Mainsforth Terrace in Hartlepool. The lane closure currently in place was agreed with the council’s highway department which is responsible for co-ordinating all road-works.
“This work was not planned, it was in response to a gas leak, we cannot take chances with public safety and will always investigate and complete a full repair as soon as possible when a gas leak is reported. We also work hard to keep any disruption to a minimum while we are doing this.
“In this instance the repair was complex and required deep excavations and specialist digging equipment to get through the reinforced concrete road, it has taken around three weeks to complete and we have monitored the area consistently throughout this time.
“The excavation now needs to be filled-in and the road surface restored, we expect this to be finished by Friday.”
A council spokesman said: “In terms of the Stockton Road/Oxford Road scheme, utility works will be taking place over the next two to three weeks, following which the main part of the scheme will be able to start. This involves widening the junction to make it easier for vehicles to negotiate the corner, particularly buses.
“There will also be slight widening of the carriageway on the Oxford Road and Stockton Road (southbound) approaches, in order to allow for two lanes to be marked out. At present there is around one-and-a-half lane widths on these approaches, and the improvements will reduce congestion, particularly at peak times.
“The scheme is scheduled to be completed in April.”
• MOTORISTS faced delays yesterday after two different road smashes.
A four-car minor shunt on the northbound carriageway of the A19, near to Hutton Henry and Castle Eden, on the outskirts of Hartlepool, caused delays from 8.35am to 10am after one lane was closed.
Burn Road, in Hartlepool, was closed for 20 minutes after a heavy goods vehicle and a black Audi A5 were involved in a smash between McDonald’s and Tesco supermarket.
Police said no-one was injured in either of the crashes.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
