A19/Improvements Timeline
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The primary resource for opening dates has been newspaper reports digitised by the British Newspaper Archive (BNA). The newspaper digitising is ongoing so this source is not possible for all openings. Maps have been used, with Ordnance Survey One inch and Quarter inch being the most accurate, and also other online archives including Hansard. In these cases the year has been entered and reference made in the notes section.
The current dual carriageway route
| Location | Historic County | Date | Distance | Notes | Location Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tyne Tunnel route | The following opened as A108, then renumbered as A1 between 1977 and 1990 before renumbering to A19 | ||||
| Seaton Burn to Holystone Interchange | Northumberland | 1970 | 5.8 miles (9.3 km) | Tyne Tunnel Northern Approach Road Stage 2. Opened on 20 October 1970 by Dr. William Reid, acting Chairman of the Northern Economic October Council. It had taken 28 months to construct, 4 months over schedule due to allowing mining subsidence to settle. Cost £3 million. It was dual carriageway except for 2 miles from Seaton Burn to Moor Farm Roundabout. There were 11 bridges on route. It completed the Eastern bypass of Newcastle. | |
| Holystone Interchange to Silverlink Interchange (Coast Road) | Northumberland | 1969 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Tyne Tunnel Northern Approach Road Stage 1. Opened on 13 May 1969 by Lord Ridley, Chairman of Northumberland County Council. It had taken 18 months to construct by contractor Brims Ltd. Cost £1.25 million. | |
| Silverlink Interchange (Coast Road) to Tyne Tunnel | Northumberland | 1967 | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) | The northern approach road from A1058 Coast Road was opened along with the tunnel on 20 October 1967. | |
| Tyne Tunnel | Northumberland • Durham | 1967 | 1.1 miles (1.7 km) | The initial tunnel was opened to traffic on 20 October 1967. The official opening was by Queen Elizabeth the previous day (Newcastle Evening Chronicle of 19 October 1967). It was about 5,500 feet long with a 31 foot 3 inch diameter carrying a 24 foot single carriageway. Southern exit was a roundabout connecting to A185 Straker Street (the current Jarrow Interchange). It was the longest under river road tunnel since the Queensway Mersey Tunnel of 1934. Contractor was Edmund Nuttall Sons & Co (London) Ltd, cost £12.6 million. | |
| New Tyne Tunnel | Northumberland • Durham | 2011 | 0.9 miles (1.5 km) | The second tunnel was opened at midnight on 25 February 2011 for two way running and dual carriageway operation commenced on 21 November 2011 after refurbishment of the old tunnel. It was built as part of the £260 million New Tyne Crossing Project by contractor Bouygues Travaux Publics UK. | |
| Tyne Tunnel to Testos Roundabout | Durham | 1968 | 2.3 miles (3.7 km) | Tyne Tunnel Southern approach Road. The road southwards from the roundabout connecting to A185 Straker Street (the current Jarrow Interchange) was not ready for the Tyne Tunnel opening. It was reported as nearly completed by the 27 October 1967 Gateshead Post and was shown on the March 1968 OS Quarter inch map. | |
| Sunderland Bypass | The following opened initially as A108. | ||||
| Testos Roundabout to Hylton Grange Interchange | Durham | 1972 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | Opened on 20 March 1972. | |
| Hylton Grange Interchange to A183 Chester Road Interchange | Durham | 1974 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | The final section of the Bypass from Hylton Grange Interchange to A183 Chester Road Interchange was opened on 30 September 1974 with contra flow on the northbound carriageway. The opening date per the Land Compensation Act notice was 21 November 1974 which is expected to have been the full opening. It had been delayed by national safety concerns re the steel box girder Hylton Viaduct over River Wear. Construction of the viaduct was halted in June 1971 and did not recommence until early 1973. Extra stiffening was put in the girders. Contractor was W. and C. French (Construction) Ltd.. | |
| A183 Chester Road Interchange to Seaton Interchange | Durham | 1972 | 5.5 miles (8.9 km) | A183 Chester Road Interchange to A690 Herrington Interchange opened on 8 May 1972. A690 Herrington Interchange to Seaton Interchange had opened in February 1972. Generally two lane 24 foot wide dual carriageways with 15 foot central reservation and 12 foot verges. | |
| End of Sunderland Bypass | |||||
| Easington and Seaham Bypass | Durham | 1971 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | 2 schemes: New Seaham to Seaton Diversion / Easington to Cold Hesledon Diversion. From Stockton Road, Seaton (A1018 spur) through Seaton Interchange and Little Thorpe Interchange to Thorpe Road, Little Thorpe (A1086 spur). The 6 mile dual carriageway was reported to be opening next week by J.W. Clark, County Council Chairman, per the Newcastle Journal of 23 October 1971. The £4.5 million scheme had started in October 1969. In February 1970 the contractor Carmichaels, Edinburgh went into voluntary liquidation and the County Council stepped in to complete the work. | |
| Shotton to Low Hills Improvement | Durham | 1970 | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) | Online dualling from Stockton Road, just south of Little Thorpe Interchange to the north end of Shotton Bank. Shown on July 1970 OS Route Planning map, not on September 1969 edition. It was included in the Land Compensation Act notice of 29 June 1974, for schemes completed after 16 October 1969, although no opening date was given. It may have opened in 1969. | |
| Castle Eden Bypass | Durham | 1972 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Dual carriageway from the north end of Shotton Bank to south of the Hutton Henry junction. Shown on July 1973 OS Route Planning map, not on July 1972 edition. It was shown as under construction on the May 1970 OS Quarter inch map. It was included in the Land Compensation Act notice of 29 June 1974, although no opening date was given. It may have opened in 1973. | |
| Sheraton Improvement | Durham | 1968 | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) | Mostly online dualling from south of the Hutton Henry junction to 500 yards south of Sheraton Interchange. Shown on the October 1968 OS One inch map, not on July 1968 OS Route Planning map. Note that the September 1969 OS Route Planning map showed dualling to the vicinity of the Hutton Henry Junction but it is unclear if this was a later further northwards dualling, or a mapping error due to the scale of the map. The Sheraton village section may have been completed earlier. The 0.75 mile scheme started in May 1964 with an expected completion date of November 1965. | |
| Elwick to Wolviston dualling | Durham | 1967 | 4.6 miles (7.4 km) | Mostly online dualling from 500 yards south of Sheraton Interchange to the then Hallsfield Farm, north of Wolviston. Shown on the March 1968 OS Quarter inch map, not on July 1967 OS Route Planning map. It may have opened in 1968. Work started in early 1965 and was expected to last 2 years. Contractor was the County Council, contract value £650,000. A short section at the southern end became part of an A19 spur in 1982. | |
| Billingham Diversion | Durham | 1982 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | The bypass from 0.7 mile north of Wolviston to just south of Norton Interchange opened on 16 November 1982 without ceremony. There was a diversion for a few months around a sinking bridge at Stockton Ring Road Interchange. Contractor was Dowsett Engineering and Construction. Outturn works cost £19 million. It superceded the original bypass from 1970. | |
| Tees Newport Bridge Approach Road Extension | Durham | 1938 | 1.8 miles (2.9 km) | From Norton Road (east of the current Norton Interchange) to Haverton Hill Road, south of Billingham (Portrack Interchange). Shown on the 1938 OS Six inch map. Not on the 1937 OS Ten mile map. North Eastern Gazette of 25 May 1939 reported that the road had been completed, although the 8 November 1939 edition reported that authority had been given for work to continue. Opened as A1130. There has been a diversion at the north end to join the 1982 Billingham Diversion. It was reconstructed as D3 in 1998 per CIHT "The A19 Trunk Road". | |
| Teesside Diversion: Stage 1 |
Durham • Yorkshire | 1975 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) | Portrack Interchange, Haverton Hill Road, south of Billingham to A174 Parkway Junction, south of Thornaby-on-Tees. The dual carriageway was opened in 1975 per the National Audit Office report of 2018 and Newcastle Journal of 8 December 1989. It included the 6,350 foot River Tees Viaduct. Hansard of 16 June 1975 suggested that Tees Viaduct would open with 2 way running on the northbound carriageway, pending full completion in the new year. Contractor was Cementation Construction Ltd. | |
| Teesside Diversion: Stage 2 |
Yorkshire | 1976 | 6.8 miles (10.9 km) | The section from A174 Parkway Junction, south of Thornaby-on-Tees to one mile south of Crathorne was completed in October 1976 per the Policy for Roads: England 1978 Report. The Craythorne bypass may have opened earlier. It included the 1,130 foot Leven Valley Viaduct. The opening had been delayed due to adverse ground conditions with the Leven Viaduct construction. Outturn works cost £9.6 million. | |
| Crathorne - North of Trenholme Lane | Yorkshire | 1968 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | The section from one mile south of Crathorne was shown on the March 1968 OS Quarter inch map. Not on July 1967 OS Route Planning map. It may have opened in 1967. | |
| North of Trenholme Lane - Cleveland Tontine | Yorkshire | 1969 | 2.9 miles (4.7 km) | Shown on the September 1969 OS Route Planning map. Not on July 1968 edition. It may have opened in 1968. | |
| Cleveland Tontine - Mount Grace | Yorkshire | 1971 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | From 300 yards north of Cleveland Tontine - Mount Grace Lodge. It was part of the section southwards to 50 yards south of A684 junction at Clack Lane End, Ellerbeck (Osmotherley Interchange) which was opened in June 1971 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. It may have opened earlier. | |
| Mount Grace Lodge - Clack Lane End, Ellerbeck | Yorkshire | 1960 | 0.9 miles (1.4 km) | Shown on the 1961 OS 1:25000 map (major roads revised 1960). Not on 1950 OS 1:10560 map. It looks to have been built in the 1950s. Note that it was also included as part of the section from 300 yards north of Cleveland Tontine to 50 yards south of A684 junction at Clack Lane End, Ellerbeck (Osmotherley Interchange) which was opened in June 1971 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. There may have been some upgrade. | |
| Osmotherley Interchange - Borrowby | Yorkshire | 1970 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) | From 50 yards south of A684 junction at Clack Lane End, Ellerbeck (Osmotherley Interchange) to Gate Lane, Borrowby. Opened in June 1970 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. It is unclear whether Osmotherley Interchange was built with this section or the northwards section which opened in June 1971. | |
| Borrowby Diversion | Yorkshire | 1974 | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) | From Gate Lane, Borrowby southwards to Swan Lane, Knayton. Opened in December 1974 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. | |
| Knayton - North of Thirsk Bypass | Yorkshire | 1970 | 1.8 miles (2.9 km) | From Swan Lane, Knayton to 116 yards south of Green Lane, Spital Bridge, Kilvington. Opened in August 1970 per the Noise Insulation Regulations notice. | |
| Thirsk Bypass | Yorkshire | 1972 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | South Kilvington Interchange (116 yards south of Green Lane, Spital Bridge, Kilvington) to Topcliffe Road Interchange (520 yards north of Gristhwaite Lane). Opened on 5 September 1972 per the Noise Insulation Regulations Notice. Contractor was Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd., tender price £4.1 million. The section south of York Road Interchange is A168 but is shown on the map for completeness. | |
| The dual carriageway continues to the A1 Dishforth Interchange as the A168 |
