Transport Secretary Commits to Meeting on A66 Dualling Project

The Transport Secretary has committed to holding a meeting with two Members of Parliament advocating for the dualling of the A66. Louise Haigh confirmed her willingness to discuss the route, which connects Penrith and Scotch Corner, during a parliamentary session on Thursday where she responded to a question. The £1.3 billion initiative to dual the A66 had received approval from the preceding government in March. However, these plans were subsequently paused following an announcement by the Labour party that a spending review was necessary, citing an inheritance of a “broken economy.” This route, officially designated as the Northern Trans-Pennine Project, establishes connections between Cumbria, North Yorkshire, the Tees Valley, and Tyne and Wear. In the previous month, Tim Farron, a Liberal Democrat MP representing Westmorland and Lonsdale in Cumbria, and Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister and Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton in North Yorkshire, collaborated to urge the progression of the project. During the transport debate held on Thursday, Mr. Sunak informed Ms. Haigh that 12 fatalities had occurred on the A66 during the past year. He stated: “While there is a strong economic case for dualling, the road safety considerations concern me most.” Ms. Haigh affirmed that her government prioritizes road safety, specifically mentioning “particularly on that section of road.” She further noted that a new road safety strategy, the first in over ten years, was currently under development, and expressed that she would be “more than happy” to arrange a meeting with Mr. Sunak and Mr. Farron. Information regarding BBC North East and BBC Cumbria updates is available on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.