Drivers are being advised that the A1 in North Yorkshire will be closed for 34 hours later this month to demolish Fort Bridge as part of the A1 Leeming to Barton major road scheme.
The A1 will be closed from 8pm on Saturday 14 November until 6am Monday 16 November in both directions between junction 51 (Leeming Bar) and Scotch Corner.
The £380 million Highways England project, which began last year, will replace the existing dual carriageway with a new three lane motorway. The bridge needs to be demolished to allow space for an extra lane to be added to the road network before being rebuilt at a later date.
In the meantime drivers will be able to use a new Catterick central junction which will open prior to the demolition – marking a major phase in the construction of the scheme.
The new junction will be located north of the existing junction at Catterick and will provide drivers with access to the A1 and the local access road.
Highways England project manager Tom Howard said:
This is a significant milestone for the scheme and a complex piece of engineering, which is why it is essential we close sections of the A1.
We will use 35-tonne excavators and are building a platform to accommodate a 500-tonne crane to remove the steel beams from the existing bridge structure.
There will inevitably be delays at peak times and people should plan their journeys, using the many alternative routes that will be signposted off the A1 closure and leave extra time to complete their journeys. We would like to thank drivers for their patience.
Clearly-signed diversions will be in place and drivers are advised to allow an extra 30 minutes to their journey time.
During the closure the light festival Lumiere will be held in Durham. Festival goers travelling to the event by car from the South are advised to check the latest travel information and plan their route carefully to take into account the diversions. Live traffic and travel information for the event can be found on the #lumieredurham
When completed the A1 Leeming to Barton scheme will unlock growth and boost the economy by creating a continuous motorway-standard route between London and Newcastle (including the M1 and A1M). It will also improve journey times and increase safety.
Drivers who intend to travel on the A1 during the closure are being advised to check the latest traffic conditions before they set off.
