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28
Oct
A66 upgrade to take nine years as North Yorkshire leaders voice disappointment
North Yorkshire Council’s leader has expressed disappointment that the long-awaited A66 trans-Pennine upgrade will now take nine years to complete — with construction starting in Cumbria.
Councillor Carl Les said the decision to phase the major road improvement scheme, rather than carry out work simultaneously along the route, was frustrating given the safety concerns surrounding the A66 in North Yorkshire.
His criticism was echoed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton, who said the extended timetable was disappointing and meant motorists would face years of further delays.
The Chancellor gave the green light for construction works on the upgrade to officially begin next month in today’s Budget.
Roads Minister Justin Madders has also written to Cllr Les today confirming that the government has approved the business case for the project.
However, while the scheme was previously expected to be delivered over five years, it will now be spread over nine years, with the entire route not expected to be fully upgraded until 2035.
18 miles upgraded
The project will upgrade 18 miles of the 50-mile route between the M6 and A1(M), creating a continuous dual carriageway and improving key junctions.
In a letter to Cllr Les, Mr Madders confirmed that construction would begin at the western end of the route, between Penrith and Temple Sowerby in Cumbria.
That section is expected to open by 2031.
Further east, between Temple Sowerby and Carkin Moor, which is close to the North Yorkshire border, archaeological investigations, utility diversions and other preparatory work will continue until 2030.
Main construction on that section is not expected to begin until 2030, with the road due to open sometime between April 2031 and March 2036.
However, improvements to Scotch Corner junction are scheduled to be completed during the current five-year road investment period, which runs until March 2031.
Cllr Les welcomed confirmation that the project would proceed but criticised the extended timetable and decision to start at the western end.
He said:
It’s good news that it’s confirmed that they’re doing it.
It’s good news that the improvements to Scotch Corner will be included in the first five-year phase.
However, it’s bad news that they’re phasing it and they’re starting at the opposite end to us. At one time, they were going to do it all at the same time.
And it’s even worse news that they’ve decided now to phase it over nine years, not five years. I’m really disappointed about that.
'The Cinderella of roads'
The council leader said the eastern section should have been prioritised because of the dangers posed by junctions and central reservation crossings.
He added:
I’ve always described it as the Cinderella of roads, so I suppose the question now is, will Cinderella ever get to the ball?
The delays are a serious issue for those people who have to use the many dangerous crossovers at our end of the road.
In terms of accident reduction and reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on the A66, we would have said start at our end.
Sunak criticism
Mr Sunak also criticised the timetable, pointing out that work had previously been expected to begin in 2024.
He said:
With the government having already delayed starting the works, which were previously due to begin in 2024, it is frustrating that it is going to take another nine years to complete.
Upgrading these 18 miles of dual carriageway as soon as possible is vital to improve journey times and, most importantly, safety.
The last government expected this upgrade to be completed over a five-year period.
If this government had kept to our schedule and not delayed making a decision on whether to go ahead with the scheme, the work could have been at halfway stage by now.
'Some communities will be disappointed'
In his letter, Mr Madders said the decision to extend the construction programme had been made to keep the project affordable and match the funding available.
He confirmed that he and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury approved the Full Business Case on October 22.
The minister acknowledged that communities towards the eastern end of the route would be disappointed by the decision.
He wrote:
I recognise that some communities, particularly those near the eastern section, will be disappointed that work on every part of the route will not start straight away.
However, he insisted the government remained committed to delivering the full project.
Preparatory work is already underway, including environmental surveys, ground investigations and the diversion of water mains, gas pipes, electricity cables and telecommunications equipment.
Almost 60 per cent of the archaeological investigations have been completed, covering an area equivalent to around 123 football pitches.
The remaining archaeological work is scheduled for 2027 and 2028, while approximately 200 major utility diversions are planned across the project.
National Highways has also begun clearing sites for access roads and construction cabins.
Safer journeys
The minister said the preparatory work would help reduce the risk of further delays and provide greater confidence over costs.
He described the A66 scheme as the largest publicly funded road investment in England.
Around a quarter of vehicles using the route are heavy goods vehicles, more than twice the national average for this type of road.
The government says the improvements will make journeys safer and more reliable, strengthen freight connections between the east and west of England and support economic growth.
National Highways is expected to provide communities with more detailed information about the construction programme and local timings over the coming months.
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