Rishi has called on the Government to press ahead with the upgrading of the A66 trans-Pennine road.
Last year, after the General Election, the new Government announced that the dualling of the remaining sections of the vital strategic route between Scotch Corner and Penrith would be delayed and was subject to a review of major infrastructure projects.
Work on the dualling was due to start in 2025, having been approved by the previous Government led by Rishi.
He urged the Government to give the green light to the project in next month’s Spending Review during a visit to Bulk Logistics Group, a major haulier of bulk goods across the UK which is based in Patrick Brompton, near Bedale.
Rishi said that delaying or abandoning the £1.4bn project would costs lives and hold back the economy of the North of England.
“Not going ahead or delaying the upgrade will cost businesses like Bulk Logistics and, even more importantly, the lives of many more motorists who use this road,” he said.
He added: “The A66’s safety record is poor – 12 people died using it in 2023 and the route has 50 per cent more casualties than the average for a road of this type.
“The road’s high accident rate also leads to delays and congestion which costs regional businesses like Bulk Logistics. A large proportion of those accidents lead to complete closures of more than five hours, blocking this key link between the Yorkshire, the North-East and North-West and the UK’s major northern ports.
“Strong economic growth is essential for our country’s future and a properly upgraded A66 is vital to help businesses across the our region, and the UK as a whole, drive that growth.
I call on the Government to take the opportunity presented by the Spending Review to give this project, on which a huge amount of work has already been done, the go-ahead.”
Michael Ward, managing director of the Bulk Logistics Group, which operates a fleet of 95 vehicles providing logistics services from centres located in Middlesbrough, Penrith, Leeds, Newcastle, and Bedale, said the current layout of the A66 was creating growing challenges for the business.
“As traffic volumes increase, congestion has become a regular issue,” he said. “Once limited to public holidays and the summer months, delays are now a constant concern that impacts the day-to-day running of our operations.
“The A66 is a vital corridor for transporting materials between Teesside and Cumbria. It provides essential access to local authorities, quarries, animal feed mills, and our sites in Penrith and Carlisle. With much of the route reduced to a single lane, frequent delays are increasing driving hours. This requires additional driving time, planning, and management, with clear economic consequences. Dualling of the A66 is essential.”
Richard Smith, managing director of the Road Haulage Association, who also attended the visit said: “The A66 is a key local, regional and national route for east/west journeys in the north of England providing vital connections for freight, tourism and businesses across the UK.
“The route carries high levels of freight, with 25 per cent of the traffic being heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) compared to the national average figure of 12 per cent. The A66 is also an important route for tourism, providing access to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Park.
Investment in the A66 is essential to the continued development of the economy in the north of the country.”
Rishi has campaigned for improvements to the A66 since 2016. In recent months he has raised the issue of the upgrading in the House of Commons and, with Tim Farron, the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, written to the Prime Minister about its importance to the regional economy.
