OREANDA-NEWS. From Monday 4 January until Friday 21 January, the northbound carriageway will be closed between junction 67 (Coal House) and junction 70 (Dunston), and on the southbound carriageway between junction 73 (Derwenthaugh) and junction 67 for work to continue on the central reservation.

The entry slip roads from the westbound A184 onto the A1 will also be closed at junction 69 (Gateshead Quays) due to the closure on the A1.

Highways England project manager Lynne Biddles said:

This is a major project to upgrade this section of the A1 to a 3 lane motorway so that drivers can stay on a motorway all the way between London and Newcastle, using either the A1(M) or M1.

We’re carrying out the latest closures overnight when traffic levels are at their lowest to keep disruption to a minimum, and there’ll be clearly signed diversions in place for drivers.

A diversion suitable for heavy goods vehicles will be in place from junction 66 (Eighton Lodge) and junction 77 for the A696.

The closures are part of the £61 million A1 Coal House to Metro Centre improvement scheme which will see the number of lanes increased from 2 to 3 in both directions between the Coal House junction and the Metro Centre junction.