Press release

Overnight closures for A1 upgrades near Gateshead

Further overnight closures are planned along a stretch of the A1 near Gateshead as part of major project to add an extra lane to the dual carriageway.

This news article was withdrawn on

This document is no longer current

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.

More details are available on the project page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Published 29 December 2015