Work to resurface around 4 miles of the A1 in Northumberland will start on Monday 11 January providing smoother and safer journeys for drivers.

Contractors for Highways England will be resurfacing the southbound carriageway of the A1 between Alnwick and Newton on the Moor.

A contraflow system will be in place, with the southbound carriageway closed to traffic. Vehicles will run in both directions on the northbound carriageway.

Highways England project manager Steve Bishop said:

When complete, this project will provide drivers with safer and smoother journeys along this stretch of the A1 in Northumberland.

Every effort is being made to ensure disruption to traffic and residents is kept to a minimum, and we’ll be using a contraflow system on the northbound carriageway to keep vehicles running in both directions.

Traffic travelling north will be able to turn left off the carriageway but not right and traffic travelling south will not be able to turn left or right off the carriageway.

Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place for residents living off the A1 and these routes will be treated with salt if temperatures drop below freezing until the project is due to be completed at the end of next month.

The X15 Arriva bus service will be affected by the work but a shuttle bus has been arranged with Arriva to serve the villages of Hampeth and Shilbottle.