Tilbury Douglas Completes Milestone in £30m A69 Junction Upgrade – Helping to Support Growth Across the North

Tilbury Douglas, a leading UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit out company, has reached a key milestone in National Highways’ £30 million A69 Bridge End upgrade project near Hexham, Northumberland, as the main section opens to traffic.

The project includes a new stretch of dual carriageway built under the existing roundabout and the construction of two bridges to form a new junction.

The congestion-alleviating investment, which is part of the government’s drive to level up transport in regions across the country, means traffic can now flow freely along the route, as well as in and out of Hexham, putting a stop to through traffic needing to navigate the junction at Bridge End.

The scheme saw more than 200,000 tonnes of earth excavated 11 metres below the old roundabout for the new A69. A total of 51 miles of steel reinforcement was used in the new structures, which if were laid end-to-end, would stretch from Hexham to Holy Island.

Due to the restricted size of the site, each new bridge was not built in its permanent position but built offsite and then lifted into place on special multi-axal vehicles before being lowered into their permanent positions.

Paula Parsons, Operations Manager – Infrastructure at Tilbury Douglas, said: “It is great to see such an important project open to traffic. Throughout its construction, we were proud to utilise local suppliers wherever possible, with nearly 80% of the workforce for the project based in the North East, with half of those coming from north of the Tyne.”

National Highways Chief Executive, Nick Harris, added: “We are delighted to celebrate this important upgrade being open to traffic, which is part of our multi-million-pound investment into the region. The A69 is an important route between Newcastle and Carlisle that provides a link between the north east and north west of England and is heavily used by hauliers and commuters.”