A19 Hartlepool roadworks to end months early - but overnight closures still loom

Highways England has announced that the £70m scheme to upgrade a section of the dual carriageway from two lanes to three will be complete by this autumn rather than next year.

The work, which is taking place between the A1027 Norton and A689 Wynyard-Hartlepool junctions, will ease congestion and delays for motorists using this stretch.

Residents who live near the Wynyard-Hartlepool junction will also benefit from noise reduction because the concrete surface is being replaced by a quieter material.

Highways England project manager Keith Bradley has now said: “Our construction team have pulled out all the stops and have been able to accelerate progress over recent months, along with the support of our stakeholders.

“This now means that we can reduce the length of time needed to get the road fully open to traffic.

“We were programmed to finish next year around spring or summer, so we're excited to announce that we now expect to complete by this autumn.”

The improvements are part of a larger £300m-plus scheme aimed at improving the A19 throughout the region.

Before the Norton-Hartlepool project is finally completed, however, 8pm-6am overnight closures will take place in both directions while work takes place along the central reservation.

These are likely to begin soon although they will not be in force across the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.

Remaining work also includes the installation of a concrete central barrier, drainage, street lighting and road surfacing.

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