The County Council has moved to reassure residents on planned works on the A1061 Laverock Hall Road in Blyth. 

 

Over the coming months work will be taking place in the area to create a new road layout for the forthcoming Northumberland Line, as well as survey work for the proposed Blyth Relief Road. 

 

Following the publication of a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order, the Council is aware of concerns raised over the lengths of the works and how they will be implemented  - but is stressing there are no plans for a 16-month closure of the road. 

 

Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Improving Our Roads and Highways, explained: “These works will ultimately benefit thousands of people, from local residents in Blyth to those who travel to work or visit the town. 

 

“However we want to reassure people who may have seen our Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) and may be worried about what’s planned. 

 
“Legally there can only ever be one TTRO on a road at any one time and so if various works are happening during a given period of time on the same road then they must all be included in the same order.  

 

“While the overall dates for this order are from September 2023 to December 2024 we must stress that there will not be a continuous closure throughout the 16 months, this is simply the period for which the order is legally valid and various works will take place during that time.   

 
“Discussions about the exact traffic management for the work are currently ongoing, including whether some elements of the work on South Newsham Road can best be achieved through the use of temporary traffic lights or through the use of a one way system.  

 

“Given the sensitive location of the works, the focus of these discussions is very much on how the disruption to traffic can be minimised while the necessary works are carried out safely.  

 

“Also, the reference in the TTRO to a one-way system is to provide options for how the work on South Newsham Road could best be undertaken, but this couldn’t be considered if the option of a one-way system wasn’t included in the order.” 
 

Once further discussions have been held with the utility companies and contractors about the proposed works and traffic management options, more details will be published about the proposed traffic management and its duration.