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18
Mar 2022
Concerns over traffic and environment as £1bn plan to dual A66 presses ahead
Concerns over additional traffic, the environment and construction have been raised over a planned £1 billion upgrade of one of England’s busiest roads.
National Highways, formerly Highways England, today published a summary report of its consultation into the project to dual the remaining parts of the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and A1 at Scotch Corner.
The road is used by thousands of drivers in the north of England each day to travel between the north east and Cumbria and on to Scotland. Many experience delays due to the regular changes from single to dual carriageways.
A total of 645 said they were in favour of dualling the remaining single carriageway, whereas 68 opposed the move and 87 said they were neutral.
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In its summary report, National Highways said the most common concerns raised were over construction, traffic and the environment.
It said:
Others had concerns that the project could disrupt wildlife and increase congestion during construction.
Appleby Fair could move
The report also reveals National Highways is considering an alternative to the proposed replacement of the travelling community’s Brough Hill Fair site on the section between Appleby and Brough. It says:
The responses are helping to shape the final design and inform National Highways’ application for a Development Consent Order in May 2022 which, if successful, will pave the way for the project to dual the entire road to go ahead.
Lee Hillyard, National Highways’ A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project director, said:
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