DRIVERS travelling along the A66 between West Bowes and the Cumbrian border are advised to allow extra time for their journeys due to essential roadworks taking place from this evening.

The work being carried out is to repair a section of road near Stainmoore that has subsided. The eastbound carriageway will be closed from 8pm tonight and a contraflow will be in operation on the westbound carriageway. The contraflow will allow traffic to continue to travel in both directions along the A66. For safety reasons a 50mph speed limit will also be in place.

A short length of the eastbound carriageway has subsided. However, due to there being limited crossover points from the east to westbound carriageways, the traffic management installed will be approximately 6.5 miles (10km) in length.

The first phase of work carried out will be to investigate the possibility of installing additional central reservation crossovers points. This will enable the Agency to shorten the length of the contraflow and reduce the impact of the work on drivers.

Highways Agency project manager, Andrew Brown, said: “Unfortunately ground conditions have caused a sudden deterioration in the structure of the carriageway at Stainmoore and we are having to take action to ensure the ongoing safety of road users. By putting in place a contraflow we will remove the traffic from the damaged section of road while we investigate the likely cause of the subsidence.

“We recently undertook work to repair the carriageway and to refresh the lane markings on the A66 between West Bowes and the Cumbrian Border.

We regret any inconvenience this essential work is likely to cause to drivers in the area but it is paramount that we ensure the safety of the travelling public.

“At this time we are not able to determine when the carriageway will be re-opened as this is dependent upon the results of the investigation work. We encourage all drivers to drive carefully through the roadworks, keeping within the speed limit, and concentrating on the road ahead.”