WORK to complete major upgrades to the A69 has entered a new, pivotal phase.

Engineers are currently hard at work building two new bridges on the Bridge End roundabout near Hexham.

The team have now removed all the earth needed to make way for the new carriageway, and the bridge abutments - which will hold the roundabout up above the dual carriageway - are under construction.

Once the new bridge decks have been lifted into their final position, the team will fix in the ends of the new bridges to the abutments which will hold the new bridge decks in place.

All of the different sections of roundabout will then be connected meaning the junction can then be opened.

Hexham Courant: An artist's impression of what the completed roundabout will look like. An artist's impression of what the completed roundabout will look like.

Earlier this year, new turnarounds were introduced and signage was upgraded to improve driver understanding following some minor accidents and criticism from residents.

Once the roundabout is open to traffic, the temporary turnarounds will be removed.

The work is part of an overall aim to create continuous dual carriageway from Newcastle to Hexham.

100,000 man hours have been dedicated to the project.

Read more in next week's Hexham Courant.