A £51.6 million upgrade of the A19 near Sunderland is the latest National Highways improvement to open to traffic in the North East.

The A19 Downhill Lane scheme will provide extra capacity on the junction between the A19 and the A1290 in Sunderland, supporting the regional economy and providing access to the planned development of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) to the north of Nissan’s motor manufacturing plant.

The upgrade is part of the Government’s drive to build back better from the pandemic and level up regions across the country and follows closely on the heels of last year’s opening of the A19 Norton to Wynyard and A19 Testo’s improvements.

National Highways marked the milestone on Wednesday, 16 March by cutting a ribbon to open a new pedestrian, cyclist and equestrian footbridge over the main carriageway. Key stakeholders, including delivery partners Costain, scheme designers Jacobs, Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council were in attendance.

Baroness Vere, Roads Minister, said:

“I’m delighted to see this multi-million-pound scheme open for traffic. Our funding will provide a fantastic boost for the North East’s economy, make it easier for millions of people in the region to get around, and is a great example of how this Government is levelling up the country by enabling better access to opportunities and employment.”

Nick Harris, Chief Executive, National Highways, said:

“This is the third upgrade of the A19 we have been able to open to traffic in the last eight months and another important milestone in the substantial investment being made in the North East’s major A roads.”