Where are the two new road crossings planned for the River Tees?

Tees Valley Combined Authority has announced further details of plans for new routes as a result of thorough investigations looking at 14 options.

Two complementary routes have been identified to take forward to the next stage of development:

• A Central Tees Crossing route to reduce congestion on the A19: crossing parallel to the existing flyover, with significant improvements to the Portrack Interchange maintaining three full lanes from Wynyard to A66.

• An Eastern Tees Crossing route to unite industrial sites on the North and South Bank, aimed at strengthening the attractiveness of those sites, and expanding the catchment area for new jobs.

Councillor Bill Dixon, chairman of the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said: “For too long commuters have faced frustrating delays to cross the River Tees, creating additional costs to the Tees Valley’s economy and limiting our growth potential.

“We are determined to take action, and put forward a compelling business case for national investment. These two complementary proposals would have a positive double impact on our local economy: alleviating congestion, and expanding new job opportunities on our industrial sites. They demonstrate the value of our Combined Authority’s commitment to grow our future economy, and I urge the government to consider these for priority investment.”

The proposal will be discussed by the Combined Authority’s Transport Committee on March 22.