Upgrading the A66 and A69

[KeithW]

Consultation now open:

https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.co ... s-pennine/

Dualling of this route was supposed to be complete in 2009, iirc!

As I recall the 2009 scheme was the dualling at Temple Sowerby which was completed and is open

Getting back to this scheme looking at the options from West to East

M6 junction 40 to Kemplay Bank roundabout (A66/A6 interchange)
I suspect the Underpass Option will be the most popular simply because of the visual impact

Penrith to Temple Sowerby
Option D seems better as it diverts the road away from High Barn

Temple Sowerby to Appleby – Kirkby Thore
This one surprised me.
I had not considered Oprion E a northern bypass which is considerably longer and would be more expensive.
Option F is pretty much what I expected to happen diverting the road to the south along the line of the old railway.
I would need to know just how much Gypsum traffic is passing through Tore to make a decision but I suspect Option F will end up being selected

Temple Sowerby to Appleby – Crackenthorpe
Option H seems the better route to me as it did to the Romans. The old Roman road seems to have been thoroughly ploughed out but I dont doubt what is left will be excavated as work progresses

Appleby to Brough - As they say its the obvious route as is the next section - the Bowes Bypass which should have been done decades ago

Cross Lanes to Rokeby
Option K seems the way to go as Option L will restrict movements at the Rokeby junction and force westbound to traffic to make a long diversion

Stephen Bank to Carkin Moor
This has to be Option M as the alternatives impact the scheduled ancient monument.

All I can say is get on with it

[jackal]

Consultation now open:

https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.co ... s-pennine/

Dualling of this route was supposed to be complete in 2009, iirc!

As I recall the 2009 scheme was the dualling at Temple Sowerby which was completed and is open

One from the archives:

The HA were saying it will be D2 from Penrith to Scotch Corner by 2011. So the remaining six sections should be starting construction by 2009 at the latest assuming around 2 yrs for building. Albeit if they do them all at once it'll cause choas! The remaining S2 sections are:

Brougham-Winderwath 5km Due by 2011
Temple Sowerby Bypass 4.9km Due 2007
Temple Sowerby-Crakenthorpe 5km Due by 2011
Coupland-Brough West 8.25km Due by 2011
Bowes Bypass 3km Due by 2011
Cross Lanes-Greta Bridge W 3km Due by 2011
Greta Bridge-Stephen Bank 5km Due 2008
Stephen Bank-Carkin Moor 6.5km Due by 2011
Carkin Moor-Scotch Corner 6km Due 2008

viewtopic.php?t=8626

[Achmelvic]

Dualling of this route was supposed to be complete in 2009, iirc!

As I recall the 2009 scheme was the dualling at Temple Sowerby which was completed and is open

One from the archives:

The HA were saying it will be D2 from Penrith to Scotch Corner by 2011. So the remaining six sections should be starting construction by 2009 at the latest assuming around 2 yrs for building. Albeit if they do them all at once it'll cause choas! The remaining S2 sections are:

Brougham-Winderwath 5km Due by 2011
Temple Sowerby Bypass 4.9km Due 2007
Temple Sowerby-Crakenthorpe 5km Due by 2011
Coupland-Brough West 8.25km Due by 2011
Bowes Bypass 3km Due by 2011
Cross Lanes-Greta Bridge W 3km Due by 2011
Greta Bridge-Stephen Bank 5km Due 2008
Stephen Bank-Carkin Moor 6.5km Due by 2011
Carkin Moor-Scotch Corner 6km Due 2008

viewtopic.php?t=8626

Haha, so it was me who wrote that 14 years ago!

[KeithW]

The biggest flaw I can find, one which I suspect County Durham council will flag up, is they're proposing to either block off completely or make east bound only the junction by Roker Park near the western end of the current D2 section past Greta Bridge and direct all traffic to the B6277. This might not seem much except for the following issues:
This is the HGV access to Barnard Castle from the east due to the bridge over the Tees near the castle not being strong enough and there being not junction between the A67 and A1(M) near Darlington. The road to Roker Park was widened and Abbey bridge reinforced for this very purpose a few years back. It the route of the local 79 bus service.

And there's a added on proposals to work on the M6 & A1(M) junctions, so we might get a decade or so use out of the recently expanded roundabout at Scotch Corner before they do it again.

Gone is any proposal to build a northern bypass of Penrith.

Well with regard to Rokeby Option K states

A new junction west of St Mary’s Church is
proposed to allow access to the original A66 and
Rokeby.

So the old road would become a local access road. I think Durham County Council will be fine with that but Option L would restrict access. At the B6277 they are proposing a new all movements junction,

I dont think a Penrith northern bypass was ever mooted by HE it seems to have been local politicians pushing it to provide access to new housing.
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1674 ... 000-boost/

[Achmelvic]

Well with regard to Rokeby Option K states

A new junction west of St Mary’s Church is
proposed to allow access to the original A66 and
Rokeby.

So the old road would become a local access road. I think Durham County Council will be fine with that but Option L would restrict access. At the B6277 they are proposing a new all movements junction,

I dont think a Penrith northern bypass was ever mooted by HE it seems to have been local politicians pushing it to provide access to new housing.
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1674 ... 000-boost/

Ah thanks, looks like I missed that. So option K is the best option assuming the junction lay out is ok and HGV traffic can double back to access the road past Rokeby Park.

It has often seemed slightly crazy that a town the size of Barnard Castle’s HGV access from the south is via an unclassified road or its the long detour up via West Auckland or through the suburban streets of Darlington to reach the A67.

No I don’t think it has been proposed by HE either, just mentioned as it’s included in the discounted options section at the end of the consultation document.

[KeithW]

It has often seemed slightly crazy that a town the size of Barnard Castle’s HGV access from the south is via an unclassified road or its the long detour up via West Auckland or through the suburban streets of Darlington to reach the A67.

Yes even a proposed relief road used the Abbey Bridge !

What is needed is I think a southern bypass and new crossing east of the town and continuing to the B6277 and A77. ISTR that in 2002 there was a report that called for just that but it seems to have gone nowhere. Given that modern modular bridges could be ordered that could be built in days its ridiculous how long its taken.

[Rillington]

All of the A66 should be dual carriageway east of Penrith.

[Robert Kilcoyne]

All of the A66 should be dual carriageway east of Penrith.

As I read the HE proposals, the remaining single carriageway sections would all be replaced by D2.

[Rillington]

Good.

It would be difficult justifying dualling west of Penrith apart from maybe the section west of Cockermouth ie from the A595 northbound roundabout.

[Achmelvic]

Yes even a proposed relief road used the Abbey Bridge !

What is needed is I think a southern bypass and new crossing east of the town and continuing to the B6277 and A77. ISTR that in 2002 there was a report that called for just that but it seems to have gone nowhere. Given that modern modular bridges could be ordered that could be built in days its ridiculous how long its taken.

Wow, I didn’t know a bypass of Barnard Castle had ever been proposed but what you say makes sense.

I suppose part of the reason why we’ve never seen on is that the through traffic it should see and which might justify a bypass is north east to east such as Newcastle to the M6 via the A688 but that the distance isn’t much further via Scotch Corner so effectively the A66 already is a bypass of sorts. Albeit there’s been some decent bypasses of Bishop & West Auckland.

So the only HGV traffic to take into account is to the town itself.

The A67 to the east is an ok road with only Gainford potentially needing a bypass so in fantasy ideas I’ve imagined either a junction where it crosses the A1(M) near Darlington or if that’s too close to J57 then some kind of link road across to the A66(M). But as that’s within the Darlington UA area and such a link road would benefit places outside it I can’t see such a thing ever happening.

But that’s going a bit off topic!

[KeithW]

Wow, I didn’t know a bypass of Barnard Castle had ever been proposed but what you say makes sense.

I suppose part of the reason why we’ve never seen on is that the through traffic it should see and which might justify a bypass is north east to east such as Newcastle to the M6 via the A688 but that the distance isn’t much further via Scotch Corner so effectively the A66 already is a bypass of sorts. Albeit there’s been some decent bypasses of Bishop & West Auckland.

So the only HGV traffic to take into account is to the town itself.

The A67 to the east is an ok road with only Gainford potentially needing a bypass so in fantasy ideas I’ve imagined either a junction where it crosses the A1(M) near Darlington or if that’s too close to J57 then some kind of link road across to the A66(M). But as that’s within the Darlington UA area and such a link road would benefit places outside it I can’t see such a thing ever happening.

But that’s going a bit off topic!

The 2002 proposal was described as a relief road and the purpose was to cut traffic volumes through the town centre.

The thing is that Barnie and the A67 are an alternate route back to the A1(M) for Tneside and Teesside when Scotch Corner is really bad. Two years ago it was a life saver when an RTA at Rokeby closed the A66 for several hours.

In fact that seems to have brought the relief road idea back to life.
https://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/news/ ... ard-castle

[Stevie D]

All of the A66 should be dual carriageway east of Penrith.

The current proposals are for it to be fully dualled all the way between M6 and A1(M).

[MFB]

Good.

It would be difficult justifying dualling west of Penrith apart from maybe the section west of Cockermouth ie from the A595 northbound roundabout.

Really not necessary though, it's already a high quality S2, the Stainburn bypass even has a climbing lane!

[KeithW]

All of the A66 should be dual carriageway east of Penrith.

The current proposals are for it to be fully dualled all the way between M6 and A1(M).

Its also dualled from Darlington all the way to Teesport which will leave the only S2 east of Penrith being the Darlington southern bypass

[Glenn A]

Mr Grayling was on Border Lookaround this week discussing a £ 1 bn upgrade to the A66 from Penrith to Scotch Corner. Obviously very welcome and it will speed up journey times and reduce accidents, but there are other sections of the A66 that need to be upgraded. Darlington by pass and the nasty stretch of S2 from the A66(M) to the start of the by pass need to be made D2 and also the multiplex with the A595 in west Cumbria, which has been highlighted in the past.
Then with regard to the A69, I think the largely unimproved section from jct 43 of the M6 to Brampton needs work done urgently. Extending the short stretch of D2 east of the M6 to form part of a D2 by pass of Warwick Bridge should be considered. Also the 40 mph section through Low Row should be by passed.

[KeithW]

Then with regard to the A69, I think the largely unimproved section from jct 43 of the M6 to Brampton needs work done urgently. Extending the short stretch of D2 east of the M6 to form part of a D2 by pass of Warwick Bridge should be considered. Also the 40 mph section through Low Row should be by passed.

My personal view that the best option here would be to utilise and upgraded A689 from Brampton to either a new J43A or J44 avoiding Warwick Bridge completely. This would also improve access to Carlisle Airport,

[Glenn A]

Then with regard to the A69, I think the largely unimproved section from jct 43 of the M6 to Brampton needs work done urgently. Extending the short stretch of D2 east of the M6 to form part of a D2 by pass of Warwick Bridge should be considered. Also the 40 mph section through Low Row should be by passed.

My personal view that the best option here would be to utilise and upgraded A689 from Brampton to either a new J43A or J44 avoiding Warwick Bridge completely. This would also improve access to Carlisle Airport,

There is this alternative, especially if Carlisle Airport begins to really expand. The A69 could then be made non primary or even renumbered to make it less attractive.

[Glenn A]

I don't know if dualling the A69 from Greenhead to Haltwhistle would be possible due to the railway on one side and houses on the other. It would be expensive and no doubt some of the homeowners would hold out for the maximum amount of compensation possible, as some of these houses are worth over 200k.

[KeithW]

I don't know if dualling the A69 from Greenhead to Haltwhistle would be possible due to the railway on one side and houses on the other. It would be expensive and no doubt some of the homeowners would hold out for the maximum amount of compensation possible, as some of these houses are worth over 200k.

There are not that many houses really close to the road and as I recall the margins are quite wide.

[Berk]

I’ll be interested to see how dualling the Bowes bypass will work. This is unfinished business, to my mind - these projects were proposed about 15 years ago, but got binned around 10-12 years ago.