First traffic passes over new flyover at Testo’s roundabout
The first drivers passed over the new £124.5million flyover at Testo’s roundabout as the mammoth landmark road project nears fruition.
The scheme, which began in March 2019 and aims to create safer and more freeflowing journeys, welcomed traffic for the first time, with construction to continue to fully complete the upgrade.
It means traffic on the A19 will no longer need to stop at the interchange and can continue to flow thanks to the 1,393-tonne flyover, with drone shots shared by the team showing how the structure looks from above.
Sliproads have also been created so traffic can join from the east and west via A184 Newcastle Road.
An estimated 83,400 vehicles are predicted to use the route every day by 2033 and the changes will also help manage traffic using the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) being built near Nissan, with works also ongoing at Downhill Lane.
Highways England project manager Liam Quirk said: “There is still a fair bit of work to be done before we can completely open to traffic but we are delighted that people wishing to continue travel on the A19 can now do so without having to use the roundabout.
"I’d like to thank the public for their ongoing patience and support.
“We’re almost at the end of the road when it comes to being fully complete on the roundabout upgrade, so I’d urge drivers to be patient with us for a little bit longer because we do have some closures and diversions in place for a few more weeks as we reach the finish line.”
Road closures have been in place at the weekend as teams working for Highways England pushed on with the finishing sections of work.
Closures and diversions will remain in place for the nearby A19 Downhill Lane major scheme which will provide extra capacity on the junction between the A19 and the A1290 in Sunderland, supporting the regional economy and plans for the
development of International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP).
The beams of the 142-metre flyover were made by Cleveland Bridge, the same firm which helped create the Wembley Stadium Arch, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Shard in London, with a 1,000 tonne crane brought in to lift
the sections into place.
It is made up of 25-paired girders, the largest 33 metres in length, with the heaviest pair weighing in at 60 tonnes.
The project has led to years of disruption for motorists, though large drops in commuter traffic during the pandemic have lessened the blow.
And chiefs have highlighted the massive benefits it will bring for future years.
The overview for the project states: “Testo's junction suffers severe congestion at peak times, with delays of up to four minutes per vehicle.
"Traffic flows through the junction are expected to reach 83,400 vehicles every day by 2033.”
"Our Testo's improvements aim to improve journey time (savings of around four minutes by 2036) and increase capacity. For more informatio visit https://highwaysengland. co.uk/our-work/yorkshireand-north-east/a19-testo-sjunction/