Work on major new Sunderland road could start within next six months

Visualisations of the dual carriageway which will be built as part of phase 3 of Sunderland's Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC).

Sunderland City Council’s application for the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor Phase (SSTC 3) was lodged earlier this year and last night given the go-ahead by the authority’s Planning and Highways Committee.

Initial preparation and ground works for the road could now start in the next six months before major works, which are set to start in 2019 and 2020.

The SSTC 3 is the next stage in providing a continuous dual carriageway between the A19, the city centre and the Port of Sunderland.

The route would also help open up more development sites and opportunities on the River Wear’s south bank.

It is planned from the southern bridgehead of the New Wear Crossing through Pallion, Deptford and linking into St Mary’s Boulevard, next to the Vaux site.

Councillor Mel Speding, the City Council’s Cabinet Secretary, said: “This council is committed to improving our city’s infrastructure and transport networks. By making improvements and investments to our city’s highways we attract investment, growth and create new jobs.

“This is an important scheme for the city and this route can bring many traffic and regeneration benefits.”

The SSTC3 route starts at its west end from the approach to the New Wear Crossing, taking traffic from there around the Pallion Shipyard site and under the end span of the Queen Alexandra Bridge.