A690 in Durham to get £2.9m to reduce fatal crashes

The A690 is among 17 "high-risk" roads to receive funding

A major road will get nearly £3m worth of improvements to help reduce fatal and serious accidents.

The government has announced funding for the A690 in Durham, one of 17 of the country's most "high-risk" roads.

It says improvements will prevent 26 fatal and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

Work may include new junctions, improved signage and new road surfacing.

The announcement on Tuesday by the Department for Transport means Durham County Council will receive £2.94m.

It is part of a £185.8m government investment across England.

Save lives

According to the Road Safety Foundation (RSF), the improvements would prevent 2,600 deaths and serious injuries in the next two decades.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the funding would give councils the support they needed to keep road users safe.

Suzy Charman, executive director of RSF, said: "Systematic changes have already had a big impact on road death and serious injury, for example seatbelts and airbags protect lives when crashes happen.

"In the same way, we can design roads so that when crashes happen people can walk away, by clearing or protecting roadsides, putting in cross hatching to add space between vehicles, providing safer junctions, like roundabouts...and including facilities for walking and cycling."

The A690 is the only road in the North East included as part of the funding package.