The road welcomed traffic for the first time on Wednesday 4th September – with improved waiting and pick-up areas for coaches and equipment trucks also created.
Vehicles can now exit directly onto St Mary’s Boulevard in the hopes to reduce local congestion and traffic queues on High Street West.
The works, which were carried out by Esh Civils, cost around £500,000 and are part of the £1.5billion package of city-wide public and private sector investment.
The council’s cabinet backed the project in 2017 and planning permission was granted in April 2018.
Councillor Amy Wilson, Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “The new road helps the traffic movements around this part of the city centre, building on the success of the Sunderland Empire, the Fire Station development and the forthcoming Sunderland Auditorium.”
Esh Civils, who are also carrying out the £35m Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC 3), also carried out a range of social value activities while delivering this project including work experience placements and Get into STEM sessions in local primary schools.
The road is helping to manage all the traffic here and improving the area for pedestrians. Importantly, too, there is enough flexibility in the works to link them conveniently into the auditorium and more development schemes in the future.
"All these works are about improving our city for residents, visitors, businesses and about attracting more investment. Here, next to the Empire, we're complementing established and developing cultural attractions as we look to the future."
