Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comments on the A1 have sparked a wave of optimism that the case for dualling a stretch of the road, scrapped two yeas ago, could be reconsidered.
Speaking on a visit to Newcastle on Wednesday 19 August, Burnham said that he government would look to see if there was an “alternative way” of putting together the necessary funding for the scheme, says the BBC.
Campaigners have been calling for the stretch between Morpeth and Berwick in Northumberland to be dualled for decades.
Plans to dual 13 miles (21km) between Morpeth and Ellingham were scrapped in 2024, but there has been renewed calls following a string of accidents in which six people lost their lives.
The Ellingham scheme was scrapped as Treasury officials felt the £500m cost was unaffordable.
Northumberland County Council has committed £20,000 to fund evidence gathering to support the case as the number of accidents continues to rise.
Burnham admitted that the level of transport infrastructure in the region was “not fair” compared to other parts of the country, and that officials would work alongside North East Mayor Kim McGuinness to look into whether a funding package can be put together.
(Picture: Mapillary)
