Warning as 200 drivers cross bollards into A19 roadworks construction site in just two months

The incursions are putting roadworkers in danger and interrupting work on the A19 between Norton and Wynyard, where work is being carried out to increase the dual carriageway to three lanes in both directions.

As a result, the Highways England team have lost 24 hours of working hours on the project.

Nearly all incursions happened during the day, with one per cent in the dark, while most of the drivers said they thought it was the Norton or Wynyard exit-slip road, followed work vehicles, or followed other non-work vehicles into the restricted area.

Highways England project manager Keith Bradley said: “Drivers who have entered our workspace mainly seem confused, and possibly on ‘auto-pilot’ when they approach the area, which is clearly signed.

"Unlike other schemes that have seen a lot of incursions, the majority here are doing it by accident.

“We have seen incidents where people have been speeding or not slowing down, which has put the workforce at risk.

"The project itself is also suffering because we’ve lost 24 hours due to downing tools to ensure the safety of the drivers involved.”

A number of measures, supported by Middlesbrough Council, have been put in place.

Rob Farnham, Middlesbrough Council’s principal transport planning officer, said: “I am satisfied that the signs and road markings introduced by Highways England indicate as clearly as possible the exits that drivers should – and should not – use when passing through the roadworks.”