Haughton Road junction improvements to start in September

WORK to convert the ‘throughabout’ junction in Haughton Road to a conventional roundabout is set to begin later this year.

The throughabout was part of the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor (DETC) scheme that was built more than ten years ago.

The scheme has reduced vehicle numbers travelling through Haughton village from more than 5.6m vehicles in 2007 to 3.4m in 2017.

Reviews are regularly carried out as part of the council’s responsibility for managing the road network and planning for the future.

This has identified a number of ‘pinch points’ starting to materialise, including the throughabout.

The main change to the junction is the removal of traffic lights to create a conventional roundabout.

Pedestrian and cycle crossings on the throughabout will be realigned, with new signalised crossings planned on Barton Street and Haughton Road.

Councillor Heather Scott, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “We have listened to concerns about the throughabout, which have been raised by motorists and pedestrians.

“Changing this junction into a conventional roundabout will improve traffic flow and remove the potential for driver confusion.

“This scheme, which supports our ambitions to keep Darlington’s economy growing, is being jointly funded by the council, Tees Valley Combined Authority investment fund and the Department for Transport’s National Productivity Investment Fund.

“The money has already funded the changes to McMullen Road roundabout on Yarm Road and is funding the ongoing construction of a new access road to Ingenium Parc.

“These changes will also support growth at Central Park, Lingfield Point, Symmetry Park and other parts of the town.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “For too long, this junction has been a pain for plenty of drivers. Thanks to Heather Scott and her team, I’m pleased that this work will start later this year with help from our investment fund.

“I’m dedicated to upgrading our road system across every borough to make travel smoother, quicker and better than ever. We recently committed more than £7m of funding to road improvements near Morton Mark and Darlington Retail Park, which are now starting to take shape.”

Work at Haughton Road is due to start in September and expected to take about seven months. A traffic management plan will be put in place to minimise disruption.