Call for A66 Scotch Corner to Penrith dualling to be axed

Work had been expected to start in early 2025 on upgrading the notorious 50-mile stretch between Scotch Corner and Penrith to a full dual carriageway after the project was approved in March by the then Transport Secretary.

Supporters of the road have said that road safety, faster journeys, and less congestion are all reasons why the upgrade should go ahead. 

But transport campaigners have now urged the government to scrap the A66 project in favour of more spending on public transport.

A66 where it changes to single lane (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) The Campaign for Better Transport has urged the government to remove the planning order granted for the A66 and called the idea that dualling the road would ease congestion "a myth".

Michael Solomon Williams, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The Government should revoke the planning order for the A66 scheme and instead use the staggering £1.4bn to maintain existing roads and expand local public transport, especially into the Lake District National Park where road traffic is already causing havoc.

"It’s an established myth that building new roads eases congestion.

"It is wiser economically and environmentally speaking to invest in public transport.”

The A66 near Scotch Corner (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) The Department for Transport (DfT) said an “internal review” of ongoing, scheduled and confirmed transport projects would be held following the General Election - casting doubts over the A66 scheme.

It is still ongoing, while a legal challenge against the A66 project planning approval begins at the High Court on October 23.

The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project is opposed by a campaign group called Transport Action Network.

It has launched a legal challenge on environmental grounds to the planning consent granted last year by the Conservative Government.

Vehicles on the A66 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Despite the objections and the DfT review, supporters of the A66 scheme have called for a start to the project as a matter of urgency.

Richmond and Northallerton MP and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously said that any delay or abandonment of the A66 upgrade in North Yorkshire could cost lives and hold back the economy.

Richmond and Northallerton MP and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: RISHI SUNAK) In a letter to the Transport Secretary, Mr Sunak said that there can be no delays to the A66 project and that the current government should “stick to the schedule”.

“Twelve people died on the road in 2023 and the route has 50 per cent more casualties than the average for a road of this type,” he said. “The remaining single carriageway stretches – like the one near Ravensworth – are very dangerous and need to be dualled.

“The road’s high accident rate doesn’t just cost lives and cause many casualties, it costs businesses millions."

Cllr Yvonne Peacock (Image: NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL) Councillors in North Yorkshire have also been vocal in calling for the A66 dualling to go ahead, with Yvonne Peacock, who covers the Upper Dales division, saying previously: "We have been lobbying for years to get the upgrade on the A66. It is a dangerous road causing many accidents."