MOTORISTS are getting an early Christmas present this week as five months of roadworks on a busy route come to an end.

Durham County Council announced that the traffic management associated with the work to improve access to Belmont Business Park on the A690, in Durham City, will be removed on Friday December 13 and roads re-opened.

Dave Wafer, strategic traffic manager, Durham County Council, said: “It was always planned to complete the improvements before Christmas and we are delighted to announce they will be finishing a week ahead of schedule.

“We would like to thank motorists for their patience and goodwill during the disruption.”

The work, which started at the end of July, was carried out to deal with the expected increase in traffic as a result of future development at the business park.

It included widening the carriageway at the entrance on Broomside Lane as well as essential maintenance work to the Carville link bridge.

Both slip roads off the A690 were closed and Broomside Lane between the junction with the A690 and the roundabout was closed to traffic going east.