£130m A19 Upgrade to Unlock Benefits

The new A19 Testo’s flyover, an iconic South Tyneside roundabout, will enable better journeys and connections to international gateways as well as the rest of the country.

Drivers are now able to travel along the A19 over the roundabout, as well as benefiting from the new slip roads to the A184. This upgrade comes as part of the UK Government’s drive to build back better in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as levelling up regions throughout the country.

Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, Baroness Vere of Norbiton said: “The £130m Testo’s junction upgrade will be hugely beneficial to the North East, providing swifter, more reliable free-flowing journeys and supporting economic growth in the region.

“As we build back better from the pandemic, this Government will continue to invest billions of pounds to improve infrastructure, boost connections, and level-up regions right across the country.”

Highways England Acting Chief Executive Nick Harris said: “This opening is an important milestone in the substantial investment being made in the North East’s major A roads.

“These improvements will make a major contribution to the region, from providing better journeys to and from the region’s ports and Teesside airport, to improving journey times for local people who can get home more quickly and safely to their families or to and from their workplace.

“Our roads are not only the lifeblood of our economy, they support local as well as national businesses, and are vital to enable our emergency services to support local communities.”

The upgrade at Testo’s, one of more than 35 ongoing major improvement projects across England’s motorways and major A roads, is an integral part of a huge investment package into the A19, where:

• extra capacity is being created on the Downhill Lane junction between the A19 and the A1290 in Sunderland, supporting plans for the development of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), located in the area north of Sunderland’s Nissan Motor Manufacturing plant and major international supply chain companies, adjacent to the A19.
• widening and noise reduction enhancements are being made to the road between the Norton to Wynyard junctions. The major project is due to complete by this autumn, several months earlier than planned; and
• since 2019, drivers can now continue along the A19 north or south without being held up at the Silverlink Roundabout (A19/A1084 Coast Road) with the creation of a new carriageway under the existing junction.

Work started to install the Testo’s flyover in March 2019, in an effort to tackle heavy traffic. The new road is predicted to cater as many as 83,400 vehicles every day by 2033. New link roads are also being built between Downhill Lane and Testo’s, something which is aimed at boosting journey times, as well as providing new facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

Prior to the 142-metre and 1,300-plus tonne flyover opening to traffic, a Highways England traffic officer vehicle was joined by vehicles from Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire Service, North East Ambulance Service Nissan, as the first to travel officially over the new road.

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