Upgrading the A66 and A69

[KeithW]

If we look at a fairly typical leg to Scotland the distance between Leeming Bar Services and Moto Southwaite is over 80 miles. In summer you will see a lot of caravanners on the A66 and HGV's use it all year round. A favourite stopping point for both is the Stainmore Cafe which is why I mentioned expanding that.

But if you are not counting Scotch Corner as it’s a rest area then you cannot include Leeming Bar as it’s also a rest area but also less facilities than Scotch corner and a longer diversion off the motorway, the only real services is Wetherby, Scotch corner was packed all summer and full of caravans even though not allowed, I think it makes sense to build a new Scotch corner that can take all traffic including HGV traffic, a huge designer village is to be built at Scotch corner on the A6055 LAR so maybe just relocate the services nearby, Scotch corner is ideal on such a busy junction but simply too small.

Note I was not suggesting Leeming Bar was good simply pointing that its there, if you discount it the distance between services increases considerably. At least Leeming Bar is off the junction and has space in which to expand which was supposed to have happened but seems to have been quietly forgotten. As for Scotch Corner once the designer village is built there there is not going to be a whole lot of space left even if building services and retail centres at the junction of 2 strategic roads was a good idea in the first place, which it is not in my opinion.

[jabbaboy]

This might have been changed since last year, but I notice as you drive into Newcastle on the A69, the original road lighting from 1976 is still in place with the orange sodium lighting, which contrasts with all the other lighting in the city that has been replaced. I wonder when this will change over to LED.

Already gone, https://goo.gl/maps/bjzGBhkHXKGGu43Z8. Been gone awhile though now was pre July 2015 it was done as that's when that Streetview is.

[Micro The Maniac]

West of Bowes Moor the A66 is for the most part the boundary, this was chosen for convenience as it is well defined feature.

Agreed. It is one of my real bug bears that when AONB/National Parks use existing roads as a boundary, and then the existence of the NP/AONB is used as an argument to challenge the road upgrade. Or rail.

That said, I do feel that our protected areas are lacking, er, protection!

[KeithW]

West of Bowes Moor the A66 is for the most part the boundary, this was chosen for convenience as it is well defined feature.

Agreed. It is one of my real bug bears that when AONB/National Parks use existing roads as a boundary, and then the existence of the NP/AONB is used as an argument to challenge the road upgrade. Or rail.

That said, I do feel that our protected areas are lacking, er, protection!

Its a balancing act and the extreme Nimby's confuse protection with preservation. To be fair there has been relatively little outright opposition to the A66 upgrade and the reaction to the consultation was pretty positive. The main feeling seems to have been 'Its about time this was fixed'

[Glenn A]

This might have been changed since last year, but I notice as you drive into Newcastle on the A69, the original road lighting from 1976 is still in place with the orange sodium lighting, which contrasts with all the other lighting in the city that has been replaced. I wonder when this will change over to LED.

Already gone, https://goo.gl/maps/bjzGBhkHXKGGu43Z8. Been gone awhile though now was pre July 2015 it was done as that's when that Streetview is.

No, this section was replaced several years ago, when Newcastle changed all its street lighting, but the section from the city boundary to the end of the Throckley by pass was still orange sodium last year.

[Chris5156]

Already gone, https://goo.gl/maps/bjzGBhkHXKGGu43Z8. Been gone awhile though now was pre July 2015 it was done as that's when that Streetview is.

No, this section was replaced several years ago, when Newcastle changed all its street lighting, but the section from the city boundary to the end of the Throckley by pass was still orange sodium last year.

Are you sure? Streetview shows the new LED lighting from the A1 west to Blucher, and from there along the whole of the Throckley Bypass the A69 has no lighting. Which section still has orange sodium?

[jackal]

Bridge End update:

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest ... 7-12-2020/

[jackal]

It seems the A66 project will be brought forward by a year, to start construction January 2024. Also the construction period will be reduced to 5 years.

The previous plans were to start construction in 2024-25 financial year with, apparently, a whopping 10 year construction period!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lancs. ... 667726.amp

[KeithW]

It seems the A66 project will be brought forward by a year, to start construction January 2024. Also the construction period will be reduced to 5 years.

The previous plans were to start construction in 2024-25 financial year with, apparently, a whopping 10 year construction period!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lancs. ... 667726.amp

Presumably the previous time table involved upgrading sections consecutively instead of concurrently,

[roadtester]

It seems the A66 project will be brought forward by a year, to start construction January 2024. Also the construction period will be reduced to 5 years.

The previous plans were to start construction in 2024-25 financial year with, apparently, a whopping 10 year construction period!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lancs. ... 667726.amp

Presumably the previous time table involved upgrading sections consecutively instead of concurrently,

Blue Wall project. They want to show diggers on the ground by the next election.