ÃÛÌÒAPP

ÃÛÌÒAPP City Council is carrying out major roadworks near to the Freeman Hospital and RVI which will cause some disruption and potential delays for patients, visitors, staff and the wider public travelling into – and from – our hospitals. Please allow extra times on your journey.

Freeman Hospital

Resurfacing of Freeman Road is due to start on Tuesday (6 August) which will result in full road closure of Freeman Road between South Gosforth roundabout and the roundabout near Freeman Hospital and Castle Farm Road.

ÃÛÌÒAPP City Council is carrying out significant programmes of road resurfacing work across the city, which is causing some disruption for staff, with further work to follow.

We remain in contact with the council on issues and would ask staff to allow extra times on their journey wherever possible.

During these works the access to and from the Freeman Hospital will be affected by road diversions via Benton Park Road, Benton Road and Newton Park Road.

Stagecoach services after 7pm will operate as follows:

• Service 6 and 7 will not be able to serve Freeman Hospital and will operate to/from South Gosforth roundabout via Benton Park Road to Four Lane Ends interchange, operating from Stand E towards Gosforth. Staff, patients or visitors requiring this service from Freeman Hospital can either board Service 18, 37 or 38 towards Four Lane Ends, changing onto Service 6 and 7 there, or use the footpath between the rear of the hospital and Benton Park Road (Cosgrove Court). All stops will be observed on the diversion.

• Service 18 will operate non-stop between Freeman Hospital and Four Lane Ends via Freeman Road (u-turning at Castle Farm Road roundabout), Newton Road, Cragside and Benton Road in both directions. As a result, Service 18 will not be able to serve Killingworth Road, BT Call Centre or Longbenton Estate, with customers advised to use Service 62 in the affected areas, changing onto Service 18 at Four Lane Ends or Byker if necessary.

• Service 37 and 38 to/from Cramlington and Forest Hall will operate non-stop between Freeman Hospital and Four Lane Ends via Freeman Road (u-turning at Castle Farm Road roundabout), Newton Road, Cragside and Benton Road in both directions. As a result, Service 37 and 38 will not be able to serve Benton Park Road, with customers advised to either use diverted Service 6 and 7 and change at Four Lane Ends or use the footpath between Cosgrove Court and the rear of the hospital grounds to pick up the services. Service 38 terminating at Freeman Hospital will operate as normal.

The Arriva Service 553 will operate but may be subject to limited delays in timetable.

RVI – Queen Victoria Road improvements

Resurfacing work is also ongoing on Queen Victoria Road as part of ongoing improvements being completed by the council which includes the introduction of new pedestrian crossing points and a two-way cycle track to make it easier and safer for people walking, wheeling and cycling in the area.

New traffic signals at the junction with Richardson Road have already been installed as part of the works to make sure ensure sufficient time is allowed for pedestrians to cross safely. These are linked up to the city’s central traffic management system to enable better co-ordination of traffic movements.

The resurfacing work is one of the final elements of this first phase of the council’s improvements programme which is due to be completed ahead of schedule and temporary traffic signals and road closures are currently in place.

Carriageway surfacing works will then be carried out between Sunday 11 August and Thursday 22 August – again temporary road closures will be put in place with signed diversion routes wherever possible.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.