MOTORISTS are being warned about the overnight closure of part of the Great North Road this weekend.

The southbound carriageway of the A1 between Scotch Corner and junction 51 at Leeming will be closed from 8pm on Saturday, August 16, to 6am the following day.

The closure is part of the £380m scheme to upgrade the 12-mile section of the road to a three-lane motorway.

Diversions have been set up and signed and drivers are being urged to follow them.

Senior project manager Sandie Forte-Gill said: "We’ve worked hard to let drivers know what the diversion routes are and to explain that relying on satellite navigation systems won’t necessarily shorten their journey.”