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Nov 2023

Transport

'Disappointment' at four-month delay on decision to dual A66

Published: 9 Nov 2023, 10:55 GMT

by John Plummer

A plan to dual the A66 in the north of England has taken a step closer.

Transport for the North has expressed disappointment at the government delaying a decision on whether to dual the A66.

The A66 is the main route connecting North Yorkshire and the Lake District. The Northern Trans-Pennine project would dual 50 miles of road from Penrith to Scotch Corner.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper was due to rule on the £1.3bn scheme on Tuesday this week.

But the decision has now been pushed back until March 7, 2024.

Mr Harper said:

"The reason for the extension is to allow for further consideration of matters including those not resolved at the time the examining authority’s report was received by the Secretary of State.

"This will include the consideration of information submitted by the applicant regarding impacts on the North Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation, to ensure compliance with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017."

Transport for the North, which was formed in 2018 to make the case for strategic transport improvements in northern England, said in a statement today:

"We are disappointed to hear of a delay to the decision on upgrading the A66. But the important thing is to get the right answer, which we strongly believe is upgrading this key route to improve connections and experience for the people that use it.

“Removing the bottlenecks along this key east-west corridor will make the road safer and more reliable for travellers and help freight get across the Pennines by linking ports on both coasts and providing onward connectivity to Scotland.

"It’s not only a hugely important route between the Lake District, North Yorkshire and the Tees Valley – and the dozens of communities in between – it also helps connect Scotland to our towns and cities."

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'Disappointment' at four-month delay on decision to dual A66

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