Upgrading the A66 and A69

[TomJ]

There's a lot of trackway which has been set up on the fields on the south side of the A66 between Brough and just past Warcop. A number of pickup trucks and vans, with what looks like surveying equipment set up in the fields as well.

Related to this? I thought this section was planned to be done online, with the additional carriageway to the north rather than the south.

[KeithW]

There's a lot of trackway which has been set up on the fields on the south side of the A66 between Brough and just past Warcop. A number of pickup trucks and vans, with what looks like surveying equipment set up in the fields as well.

Related to this? I thought this section was planned to be done online, with the additional carriageway to the north rather than the south.

More likely its for work on the Eden Valley Railway which is just south of that section of the A66.
https://www.google.com/maps/@54.5355954 ... &entry=ttu

[Mikey]

There's a lot of trackway which has been set up on the fields on the south side of the A66 between Brough and just past Warcop. A number of pickup trucks and vans, with what looks like surveying equipment set up in the fields as well.

Related to this? I thought this section was planned to be done online, with the additional carriageway to the north rather than the south.

It's not on-line through there.

[mbeatts]

Average speed cameras going up on the A689 in September sadly!

[wrinkly]

07/11/2023 - Deadline for Secretary of State to make decision

The Examining Authority issued a Recommendation Report to the Secretary of State on 07 August 2023. The Secretary of State has three months in which to issue a decision. The decision letter and Recommendation Report will be published on this project page once a decision has been made.

https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... e-project/#

Recommendation submitted three weeks before the deadline despite complexity of project. My impression was that they are usually submitted close to the deadline. Maybe the Examining Authority wanted to get off on its hols.

[Glenn A]

Average speed cameras going up on the A689 in September sadly!

It is a fast road with long straight sections on the Crosby by pass that encourage drivers to speed up. Compared with the useless A69 to the south, the A689 is like driving on a motorway.

[jackal]

07/11/2023 - Deadline for Secretary of State to make decision

The Examining Authority issued a Recommendation Report to the Secretary of State on 07 August 2023. The Secretary of State has three months in which to issue a decision. The decision letter and Recommendation Report will be published on this project page once a decision has been made.

https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... e-project/#

Recommendation submitted three weeks before the deadline despite complexity of project. My impression was that they are usually submitted close to the deadline. Maybe the Examining Authority wanted to get off on its hols.

That's my impression as well. Hopefully the SoS can manage a decision within three months for a change.

[OliverH]

07/11/2023 - Deadline for Secretary of State to make decision

The Examining Authority issued a Recommendation Report to the Secretary of State on 07 August 2023. The Secretary of State has three months in which to issue a decision. The decision letter and Recommendation Report will be published on this project page once a decision has been made.

https://infrastructure.planninginspecto ... e-project/#

Recommendation submitted three weeks before the deadline despite complexity of project. My impression was that they are usually submitted close to the deadline. Maybe the Examining Authority wanted to get off on its hols.

I can't wait for the construction to start.
A66: started in the '70s, extended in the '80s, cancelled in the '90s, tried to finish in the 00's and cancelled again. Hopefully, this time, they finally complete the undulled sections.

[wrinkly]

A66: started in the '70s,

I think the first dualled section was the diversion to meet M6 J40, which I think opened in 1968.

[wrinkly]

The deadline for a ministerial decision on the A66 has passed. Can't find anything on the DfT or NH websites. The Planning Inspectorate website says

The Application remains with the Secretary of State for consideration. An update on this application will be provided as soon as possible.

[Herned]

You would think they would be desperate to get a big scheme in the North under construction before the election

[jackal]

"The government said the application was still with him for consideration but has given no further information."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co ... 349893.amp

[jackal]

You would think they would be desperate to get a big scheme in the North under construction before the election

Quite. They would have to approve around now to be fairly confident of shovels hitting ground before the election given appeals and prep time. Maybe they aren't planning to delay for the usual 3 months so haven't issued the usual statement?

[A9Dan]

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/ ... -extension

New deadline set for 7 March 2024.

[Achmelvic]

Yet more delay, though after decades of waiting another 4 months seems tiny....

[jackal]

Yet more delay, though after decades of waiting another 4 months seems tiny....

4 months can turn into decades if it plus legal challenges etc prevent construction prior to the election. As we've seen, even unsuccessful challenges can delay things by 9 months or so.

[Mark Hewitt]

Yet more delay, though after decades of waiting another 4 months seems tiny....

4 months can turn into decades if it plus legal challenges etc prevent construction prior to the election. As we've seen, even unsuccessful challenges can delay things by 9 months or so.

Then as is tradition a new government effectively cancels all existing programmes to review them before putting them back 5 years later.

[jackal]

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/ ... -extension

New deadline set for 7 March 2024.

This is one of the better excuses for an extension:

The reason for the extension is to allow for further consideration of matters including those not resolved at the time the Examining Authority’s Report was received by the Secretary of State. This will include the consideration of information submitted by the Applicant regarding impacts on the North Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation, to ensure compliance with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

[RichardA35]

Yet more delay, though after decades of waiting another 4 months seems tiny....

4 months can turn into decades if it plus legal challenges etc prevent construction prior to the election. As we've seen, even unsuccessful challenges can delay things by 9 months or so.

Yes it's all in the detail. I've been on a site where the date for commencement moved into a part of the calendar where tree felling or hedge clearance simply could not commence due to nesting birds so the start was fairly pointless as money was burnt for no progress. On another scheme the ecological surveys became "dated" after three years of the scheme being pushed back with no budget to update. They all needed reworking at further delay so that a GCN mitigation strategy could be agreed and a licence to close a sett could be properly granted.

[KeithW]

Another factor is that a major archaeological survey is going on, there are a number of extant sites going back to before the Roman occupation as what we know call the A66 was already in use before the Romans arrived and built their own forts along the route.

Scotch Corner was where the alternate routes to Scotland diverged, the high road via the current A66 to the A6 and the Low road, the Great North Road, now A1 with a later diversion to York which had a Legionary Fort where the Minster now stands. One of the major battles of the conquest was fought near Scotch Corner and in the aftermath the Romans built a large base at Cataractonium which survives to this day as Catterick Camp.