Drivers in Durham face nine weeks of disruption as Durham County Council imposes a sweeping ban on driving and turning along stretches of Church Street, Hallgarth Street, and Quarryheads Lane from Monday 20 July 2026. The temporary traffic order, signed on 2 July, prohibits all vehicles on key sections of these routes and outlaws left and right turns from several side streets and properties to allow footway refurbishment.
The work targets the carriageways and footpaths with a south westbound closure on Church Street between New Elvet and A177 Stockton Road, a northbound closure on Hallgarth Street between A177 Stockton Road and New Elvet, and an eastbound closure on Quarryheads Lane between Potters Bank Roundabout and the New Inn junction. No left turns will be permitted from Boyd Street, Oswald Court, High Yard, Back Mount Joy, and properties on the northern side of Quarryheads Lane, while no right turns will be possible from locations including The Anchorage, Elvet House, Mavin Street, and the road linking Whinney Hill and Church Street. The council expects the work to last around nine weeks.
The refurbishment forms part of the council’s ongoing programme to upgrade footways across the city centre. Similar work restored historic paths at North and South Bailey in March 2025, where natural stone and cobbles were carefully preserved or reused. An alternative route will be clearly signposted: drivers travelling from the north east side can head south on Hallgarth Street and then west on the A177 Stockton Road, while those approaching from the south west can travel west on the A177 before turning north into Church Street and New Elvet, with onward options via Elvet Crescent and Court Lane or around the A690 Leazes Bowl Roundabout.
The order allows for restrictions to remain in force for up to 18 months, though the physical works are expected to finish within the nine-week window. Any changes to the schedule will be advertised on-site. Helen Bradley, Director of Legal and Democratic Services, authorised the order at County Hall on 2 July 2026.
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