Middlesbrough roundabout delay cost council almost £250,000

Work on the A171 Swan's Corner roundabout in Middlesbrough was completed last November

A two-month delay to a construction project on a congested roundabout cost a Teesside council almost £250,000.

Work on the A171 Swan's Corner roundabout in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, had been due to get under way in January 2022.

However, it was put back until March as Northern Powergrid needed time to divert its services.

That meant the cost of Redcar and Cleveland Council's contract with Esh Construction increased to £1.32m.

The overspend will be met from the authority's highways budget.

A council spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service a "legal process is ongoing" when asked whether the authority would seek compensation from Northern Powergrid.

The utility company has been approached for comment.

The project, which was completed in November, saw the old roundabout replaced with a central island as well as approach roads being widened and pedestrian crossing facilities being installed.

Plans to upgrade the roundabout, which links Middlesbrough and Guisborough and provides access to Nunthorpe Academy school and Ormesby Bank, were aimed at easing the strain on the road network caused by new housing developments nearby, including Roseberry Manor and Nunthorpe Grange.

Council cabinet papers detailing the extra spend said the authority was "contractually obliged to compensate" Durham-based Esh Construction for "additional costs incurred as a result of delays they were not responsible for".

A spokesman for the local authority said: "The council can confirm that there were increased costs associated with the scheme to improve Swan's Roundabout which were due to a number of factors. 

"A legal process is ongoing and therefore we are not able to comment further at this time."