Communities along the A66 Trans-Pennine route will get updated next week on the latest developments on the project.
Highways England has said that specialist works have already taken place as part of the £1 billion project to transform the route.
Since the summer, designers and enviornmental specialists have also been carrying out surveys to gain a greater understanding of the ecology and heritage in the area. This winter ground investigation surveys will take place to look at the ground and soil conditions.
HE said it was ‘on track’ to get started on the planning process for the project in the spring.
Senior Highways England Project Manager Matt Townsend said: “We have been working hard over the summer and autumn, prepping for consultation in spring next year. We are committed to building on the positive relationships we have with communities that live along the route.
“In normal circumstances, we would organise local events and update local communities face to face. That’s not possible right now due to the current pandemic and we are therefore having to do things differently. We know that local people are keen to understand the junction designs and layouts better and find out how they can access and travel along the A66. We are therefore providing a full project update online from next Monday where people can view plans, watch videos and read our update.”
A new brochure on the project, will go ‘live’ at www.highwaysengland.co.uk/A66-NTP on 16 November alongside a new ‘What’s next?’ video setting out next steps for the project before the public consultation.
The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project is the biggest ever investment in a single road project in the north and will transform cross-country journeys – supporting Northern Powerhouse aspirations for better, less-congested connections and economic prosperity and sustainability.
Plans to dual the remaining 18 miles of the 50-mile road were unveiled in May. The transformation includes new bypasses, dualling alongside existing sections of road and major junction improvements.
As well as benefiting local people, the upgrade will support tourism and freight traffic, improving connections between ports in Scotland and Northern Ireland and those in England at Hull and Felixstowe. Pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders will also benefit from safer, better-connected facilities.
