A66 dualling approved again after review delay
GoogleA plan to dual the A66 has been approved again, a year after the government put the scheme on hold.
The project to widen the road, which runs from Penrith to Scotch Corner, was approved by the previous Conservative government, but when Labour won the election last July it put the plan on hold to review a "black hole" in the public purse.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has now confirmed the work in a £92bn national package announced on Tuesday.
Markus Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, said: "This was one of the biggest road projects in the UK and it's frustrating that it's taken so long to get an answer, but I'm really pleased it's gone our way. We've fought hard for this."
The DfT said the amount of HGV traffic on the A66, which also has single lane sections in County Durham, was more than twice the national average for a road of this kind.
It added the widening would shave up to 12 minutes off journeys and boost the economy by speeding up access to other routes such as the M6 and A1 (M), as well as to ports such as Stranraer in south-west Scotland.
A timeline for the work to be carried out is yet to be confirmed.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, had joined forces with the former Conservative Prime Minister and MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire Rishi Sunak to press for the work to be carried out on the road which crosses their constituencies.
Farron said the connection to other routes made "so much sense for the economy" and the work would improve safety on the road.
"For those people who are most concerned locally about the loss of life on the A66, I think for them and for me this is a moment of great relief," he said.
'More traffic' fear
The plan to dual the A66 had been subject of a failed legal challenge by Transport Action Network (TAN).
The group believes the work to upgrade 18 miles of single carriageway offered "poor" value for money and would increase pollution.
Chris Todd, TAN's director, said the project would cost "more than it will ever deliver in economic benefits".
"It represents another set back for the government's growth agenda. The only thing that this will grow is more traffic and more HGVs on our road, making them less safe.
"This will lead to nearly three million tons of carbon - it completely contradicts the government's drive for decarbonisation and nature protection."
But Farron said the scheme would benefit local people and ease traffic.
"What really peaks carbon emissions is when you have thousands and thousands of vehicle, including 25% of them being freight, stood still belching out fumes because of all the traffic hold-ups because of the accidents and that's one of the reasons why I think that case fell."
Campbell-Savours said there was "nothing environmentally friendly" about the current congestion.
"For many of us it's exactly about better junctions, safer junctions and a road system that doesn't see Penrith getting gnarled up every weekend," he said.
The DfT has announced a wider £92bn investment across England, including upgrading road and rail networks and extending the £3 bus cap.