A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route given the greenlight supporting thousands of new jobs and connect millions across the North

• More local road schemes across Yorkshire and the Humber also supported, including A164/Jock's Lodge Junction Improvement Scheme, as Government invests in Britain’s renewal 
• Driving growth through projects in the North and Midlands, to ease congestion, cut journey times and bring greater access to jobs and opportunities, making working people better off - all part of the Plan for Change 

Millions of commuters and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber are set to benefit from quicker journeys, as A66 Northern Trans-Pennine route, and a new station in Haxby have been given the green light, the Government has announced today (8th July).   

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:    

“Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayer’s money where it matters most and making every day journeys easier.   

“With over £92 billion investment, including the biggest ever boost for city regions in the North and Midlands, we’re delivering the schemes that fast-track economic growth and jobs, connect communities, and will help us build 1.5 million new homes, as we deliver our Plan for Change.    

“We’re forging ahead with the vital new transport infrastructure Britain needs, and improving what we’ve already got, to deliver a new era of renewal and opportunity.” 

Completing dualling of the A66 will increase capacity, improving journey times and connectivity from Yorkshire and the Humber to the M6 and Penrith, Carlisle and the Lake District and improving access  from Scotch Corner and the A1. 

A vital regional, national and international economic route, the upgrades will provide faster connections from Yorkshire and the Humber to Northern Ireland and to ports like Stranraer, and also provide a boost to tourism by improving connections for holiday makers to the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.    

The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine Project will create a continuous dual carriageway between the M6 at Penrith and A1(M) at Scotch Corner, significantly improving reliability and shaving up to 12 minutes off journeys.  

Freight connections will be significantly improved, as 25% of the current traffic on the road is made up of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), more than twice the national average for a road of this kind.  

The investment comes alongside the £3.5 billion already announced to drive delivery of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. This ambitious rail project will improve connectivity and reduce journey times between Manchester and Leeds, from 55 to 41 minutes.   

Ahead of the completion of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, Leeds station will be transformed for passengers, addressing congestion and improving facilities. The scheme will improve access to platforms, a new entrance, an improved concourse and extended platform 14, making it easier for passengers to move about the station and make further connections.     

Linked to this, works around Leeds to improve services will continue. These will support additional services to and through Leeds, ease congestion, and improve reliability for passengers in the area. Services into Leeds have been overstretched for too long and this scheme will address these issues, reducing delays for passengers. The programme has already delivered a new LNER service between London and Bradford and ongoing work will allow for longer trains and greater capacity at Leeds, meaning better connectivity for people in the region.  

Rail will also receive a boost as the government announces today a brand new station for Haxby, North Yorkshire. This new station will bring an additional 20,000 people within 3km of a railway. This new route, proving easy access to York and Leeds, opening a wealth of opportunities to work, leisure and travel.  

To support local journeys, the Government is also continuing to support four local road schemes across Yorkshire and the Humber, vital to connecting and growing communities. They are not major motorway or A-roads, but junctions, bypasses and traffic easing projects which will ease congestion on thousands of commutes and unlock further housing and jobs.    

The A164/Jock's Lodge Junction Improvement Scheme will continue to be funded and see improvements to junctions and the creation of a new roundabout on the A1079 with dualling on the A164.  

The Dawson's Corner and Stanningley bypass scheme will see the remodelling of a notorious junction and the structural renewal of Stanningley Bypass. The A1237 York Outer Ring Road (phase 1) will some of the A1237 be dualled to reduce congestion and the A59 Kex Gill scheme will see the completion of a new single-carriageway diversion of the existing A59 incorporating a climbing lane and associated junction changes to avoid areas prone to land slips. 

It comes as the Government greenlights over fifty road and rail upgrades across the country, as part of the £92 billion of transport investment in the Spending Review, supporting 42,000 jobs, enabling 1.5 million new homes, and improving connectivity for 50,000 people as part of its Plan for Change.