A £1 billion plan to dual one of the busiest roads in northern England has taken a step closer.
National Highways, formerly Highways England, wants 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.
Now, proposals have taken a step further after the government’s Planning Inspectorate approved a development consent order from National Highways.
Lee Hillyard, National Highways’ A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project director, said:
“We are pleased that our DCO submission has been successful and accepted by the Planning Inspectorate and this marks another significant milestone for this important project.”
Should the Secretary of State for Transport give the final go-ahead for the scheme, construction will start in 2024.
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