Nightmare roadworks at one of Newcastle’s worst bottleneck junctions have been put on hold indefinitely due to coronavirus.
Works at the Haddricks Mill double roundabout in South Gosforth have been halted so that council engineers can be transferred to help cope with staff shortages in vital frontline services during the pandemic.
Smaller highways schemes across the city have also been shelved for the time being, with Newcastle City Council staff diverted to essential tasks such as bin collections or put on 24-hour standby to deal with any roadworks emergencies.
It was announced in February that completion of the controversial Haddricks Mill works was not likely until September, rather than this spring as previously promised.
But it could now be pushed back even further as the council tries to deal with the ongoing pandemic.
The £4m works involve repositioning the two mini-roundabouts to increase capacity and installing new traffic lights and crossings on its numerous approaches.
A council spokesperson said: “We have taken the decision to close down our roadworks sites for the safety and wellbeing of our staff and the wider public.
“The major resurfacing works planned for Haddricks Mills have been postponed for the time being and this may mean that there are further disruptions for people as we may not be able to finish that programme of resurfacing over the summer holidays.
“The actions we have taken will ensure that the council has a flexible workforce and can provide support for other essential services, such as refuse collection, so we can keep vital services running throughout the coronavirus pandemic. This flexibility has meant that we also have staff on 24-hour standby who can respond to any emergencies that may threaten access to essential services.
“All site closures have been carefully planned and co-ordinated and we started this work last week to ensure no sites would be left in a dangerous condition
“We recognise our decision to suspend works may not be welcomed by everyone, but we are prioritising our resources to ensure the people of Newcastle are supported through this unprecedented and challenging situation.”
The next set of temporary lane closures around Haddricks Mill was due be in place during the Easter school holidays in April, stopping eastbound traffic travelling down Station Road.
Then even more disruption was planned for 55 days over the summer holidays with a series of road closures around the junction.
