The North East’s first ever triple decker junction, built at a cost of £75m, has opened on time.
Following completion of the Coast Road scheme with its new underpass, drivers on the A19 no longer have to negotiate the roundabout at the junction with the A1058.
An aerial view of the junction shortly before completion in March 2019
Highways England project manager Julie Alexander said: ‘This exciting engineering project will improve safety and journey times while supporting economic growth in the area.
‘We have been on site for over 1,000 days, worked in excess of one million hours, and during that time over 80 million vehicles have used that junction. It has been fascinating to see this junction take shape and now thousands of drivers will benefit from quicker, smoother journeys.’
James Keogh, senior project manager, John Sisk and Son, said: ‘We are very proud to have delivered this scheme on behalf of Highways England. It has been a very challenging project and will substantially reduce congestion in the area. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders and local residents for their patience and support throughout the project.’
Highways England said the ‘massive engineering project’, designed by WSP, will have a lasting legacy on the landscape of the A19 in North Tyneside and the community it serves.
The junction in June 2016, before works started
Facts and figures:
- 87,265 tonnes of stone have been used – the same weight as 2,240 Metro trains
- More than 220,000 cubic metres of soil that has been removed from site – enough to fill Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art four times
- 3,250 tonnes of steel have been used – 16 times the weight of the Angel of the North
- 16,800 cubic metres of concrete were used on the scheme – which could fill nearly seven Sunderland Aquatic Centre main swimming pools
- The whole junction has been resurfaced, using 24,500 tonnes of materials – the same weight as 2,042 double decker buses
- Over 580 concrete rotary piles have been installed to support the structures
- 55 concrete bridge beams weighing up to 76 tonnes and over 23 metres in length have created the base for the three new road bridges
- Two new pedestrian and cyclist bridges have been created
- 1,800 people have worked on site, including six graduates or apprentices
- 27 school visits have taken place in the area, speaking to 6,444 schoolchildren
- Volunteers have built sheds and created outdoor play areas for local groups
- 260 tonnes of used road surface and 160 metres of anti-climb fence have been donated to local groups and businesses
- A time capsule has been buried on site and is due to be opened in 2118
