Go-ahead for A66 Northern Transpennine upgrade
National Highways has secured a development consent order to dual the remaining 18m of single carriageway between Penrith and Scotch Corner, a £1.3bn project.
Contractors Kier, Keltbray and Balfour Beatty are lined up to deliver the project, with agreements signed in October 2022. Costain was originally on the team, but departed in summer 2023.
The secretary of state for transport has now signed the DCO, meaning the project can begin. Works will take place in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and County Durham.
National Highways said: “We are continuing to develop our plans, with archaeological work and preparatory utilities diversions currently taking place along the A66.
“Once the DCO decision challenge period has concluded, we will be in a position to provide an update on when construction work will start.”
The application was examined by the Planning Inspectorate last year. The project involves the dualling of the single-carriageway parts of the A66, between Junction 40 of the M6 at Penrith and Junction 53 of the A1(M), both of which would be improved under the project.
The overall project includes eight separate schemes.
One more lane will fix it
By Anonymous
In the context of a climate emergency there is no question to which more road space is a reasonable answer.
By the light of the moon
18m.. about £72 million per metre.. inflation has got really bad!
By Anonymous
This has dragged on for ages, but hey an election is on the way…
By Levelling Up Manager
Wow… 1.3 billion for just widening a short 18 mile stretch on an A Road (not even a motorway) in a low population area, costing more per mile than all of HS2 including the Leeds and Manchester legs… which would have benefited millions… yet that was deemed too expensive
By EOD
Thats an extraordinary amount for 18m of road and could probably deliver approx. 5000 affordable homes by comparison. I don’t doubt need better east west links though.
By Valerie Foremony
Good news
By Anonymous