How new £5.5 million junction will ease traffic at bottleneck

The cash has been awarded as part of a £25 million project to help develop housing estates in the south of Sunderland, helping to create a new road network to help people reach the Ryhope, Burdon and Chapelgarth areas of the city, as well as other infrastructure which will support around 4,000 new homes.

As part of that scheme, work has been agreed to put a new roundabout on the sliproad from the A19 southbound leading to the B1404 Seaton Lane so that drivers can join the A1018 towards Ryhope.

It will help tackle the congestion which has been an issue for years at the Seaham Lodge crossroads, where Stockton Road, Seaton Lane and Lord Byron’s Walk meet, as both the town and neighbouring city have grown.

A previous plan to create three lanes at the junction was rejected following a campaign by residents.

Councillor Kevin Shaw, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for strategic housing, is a Dawdon ward member and a Seaham Town Council member.

He said work was already underway to seek a contractor for the work with the aim of starting the project as soon as possible.

Coun Shaw said: “This has been a problem for a long time and Seaham has grown with all its regeneration and we’re also seeing that in the south of Sunderland.

“All the traffic coming off at Seaham for Ryhope will be able to take this alternative route instead of coming through Seaton.

“It’s going to be absolutely fantastic.”

A spokesperson for the Seaham Lodge Road Campaign, which has also raised concerns about the safety of people crossing the road at the junction, said the group was in favour of the new plan.

They added: “Our group’s members are pleased funding for this work has been successful.”

The council has been working with Highways England on the scheme, which is being funded by the Ministry of Homes, Communities and Local Government through the Housing Infrastructure Forward Plan Funding put in together in partnership with Sunderland City Council.

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