Weekend closures announced for A19 so work can continue at Testo's roundabout

Motorists are being warned of closures on the A19 between Testo’s roundabout and the A1231 Hylton Grange.

The closure, running for the entirety of this weekend, will begin on Friday, September 20 at 8pm and run until Monday, September 23 at 6am.

It is the latest in a series of weekend and overnight closures, which are being scheduled to assist the project transforming the existing Testo’s roundabout.

Launching in May 2019, the improvement scheme at Testo’s hopes to reduce congestion in the area and improve the travelling experience for road users and pedestrians alike.

The Highways England project will see the A19 carriageway raised above ground and carried over the existing roundabout at Testo’s.

New slip roads will be created to provide access to the A19, with new routes also provided through the junction for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Link roads will also be built between the Downhill Lane junction and Testo’s.

The work follows a huge scheme in North Tyneside, at the Silverlink roundabout, to create a triple-decker infrastructure on the road.

Similar closures on the route last weekend, between Friday, September 13 and Monday, September 16, saw severe tailbacks on the northbound carriageway of the road.

TT2, which operates the Tyne Tunnel, has also issued an email alert to its users this week to remind them of the closure – and added that the tunnel will be operating as usual.