Changing the whole face of
Treasury publishes spending plans for construction,
Already under way...
• There’s £94.40m for the Sunderland Strategic Corridor, a 2km link between the New Wear Crossing and the city centre, which among other things will improve connectivity to the city from the Nissan plant, the Low Carbon Enterprise Zone and International Advanced Manufacturing Park. Work began in 2015 and will continue until 2021.
• Funding for improvements to the New Wear Crossing (now named Northern Spire Bridge). Work began in 2015 and will be completed in 2018. The total spend of £117.6m includes £82.5m from central Government.
• A National Centre for Ageing Science and Innovation, based at Newcastle University, to lead the UK’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of older people by developing new technologies and services.
Work began this year and it is due to be up and running in 2019. The total spend is £40m, with £20m directly from the Government.
• Funding of £32.8m for maintenance and street lighting in the North East, from the Government’s ‘Challenge Fund’.
Work began in 2015 and will be completed in 2018.
• Extra funding for local authorities and schools to create new places and improve buildings.
The North East gets £476.8m between 2015-16 and 2021-22.
• Mine water treatment schemes in Northumbria. There’s £4.14m between 2015-16 and 2027-28
• Flood protection to reduce the risk to 3,850 homes, at a cost of £161.2m including £107.1m in public funding.
Work began in April 2015 and is expected to end in March 2021.
There’s also a separate flood protec- New Wear Crossing, Sunderland tion scheme to reduce the risk to 1,135 homes, costing £85.5m including £44.4m in public funding.
• A programme of improvements to the East Coast Main Line began in 2014 and is continuing.
This is paid for through a £171m ‘East Coast Connectivity Fund’.
Separately, work began this year on a £210m project to improve the power supply on the East Coast Main Line, to allow faster, quieter and cleaner trains to run. No competition date has been confirmed.
• And the Treasury document highlights improvements at Newcastle Airport, even though these are privately funded.
The airport is extending its terminal as part of a multimillion-pound investment to boost passenger facilities including an expanded immigration hall.
Other improvements include a new radar system. Work began this year and it will cost £53.6m.
• There’s £12m for road maintenance and flood mitigation in the North East as part of the Government’s ‘Challenge Fund’. Work is due to begin in 2018 and continue to 2020.
• Improving the junction between the A19 and A184, providing freeflowing access to the southern end of the Tyne Tunnel. Work begins in 201819 and is due to be completed in 202021, at a cost of £75m to £100m.
Replacement of the junction between the A19 and the A1058, allowing free-flowing movement for traffic along both the A19 and A1058. Work has already begun, at a cost of £101.6m, and will be completed in 2018-19.
Beginning 2019...
• Improvements to the A1 and A19 across Tyne and Wear by adding new technology including vehicle detection loops, CCTV cameras and driver information signs. The aims is to allow better information to drivers and active management of traffic.
Work is due to begin in 2019-2020 and the completion date has not yet been confirmed. It will cost between £100m and £150m.
• Widening the A1 south of Gateshead, from Birtley to Coal House, to three lanes. This also includes replacing and improving the Allerdene
B r i d g e , which carries the A1 over the East Coast Main Line.
Work is due to begin in 2019-20 and no end date has been confirmed. The cost will be £250m to £300m.
• Measures to enhance the A1 north of Ellingham, including three stretches of climbing lanes totalling 2.5 miles; five junctions enhanced with dedicated right-turn facilities, and better