Newcastle's Killingworth Road set to fully reopen

Construction work will continue into early 2020

A notoriously busy route in Newcastle is due to reopen in both directions after two years.

Killingworth Road was closed in July 2017 for a £13.5m scheme to install a new Metro rail bridge and widen the road.

After a number of delays it partially opened in May and will fully open on 31 July.

Newcastle City Council claimed it has addressed a "major bottleneck" and created more space.

Metro operators Nexus completed the installation of the new bridge on schedule in 2017

The reopening of the road was pushed back from March to June 2017, then to "early 2019" and then to May this year.

But a problem with a manhole meant the target date of 20 May was missed.

Although it will reopen in both directions, construction work will continue around the road until early 2020, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Salters Bridge, in Gosforth, that was closed to traffic to stop it becoming a rat run while work was carried out on Killingworth Road, is expected to remain closed until later in the summer.

There will be a consultation later this year to decide whether it should be shut permanently.