The £124.5 million project to upgrade the A19 at Boldon reached a final milestone this week as as the new A19 flyover crossing Testo’s Roundabout opened to cars.

While the scheme to upgrade the busy junction isn’t set to be complete for another few weeks, the opening of the bridge is likely to cut traffic and journey times for drivers who’ll be able to continue along the A19 without negotiating the Boldon roundabout. New sliproads also give access to and from the A184.

Work began on the installation of the £124.5m bridge back in March 2019 in an effort to tackle the heavy traffic which beset the junction, which Highways England estimated would be catering to as many as 83,400 vehicles every day by 2033, reports the Chronicle Live.

Work is also ongoing at nearby Downhill Lane, with improvements on that road being delivered as part of the Testo’s scheme.

The Downhill Lane work is set to create extra capacity on the junction between the A19 and the A1290 in Sunderland, as part of plans for the development of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP). New link roads will be created between Downhill Lane and Testo’s, aimed at boosting journey times as well as providing new facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Project manager for Highways England, 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.”