Latest news with #A66
BBC News
21-07-2025
- BBC News
Tributes to mum-of-three Abby Storey after A66 Workington crash
The family of a mother-of-three who died in a car crash has paid tribute to her, saying she "brought laughter and joy wherever she went".Abby Storey, 35, from Workington, and another man in his 30s, died in a collision between two cars on the A66 near the Cumbrian town, on Saturday 12 front-seat passengers of both cars, including Ms Storey, were pronounced dead at the scene while both drivers were taken to hospital with serious family said she was a "proud and adoring mother to her three beautiful children, in whom her memory will live on every day". "Her energy was unmatched, from her wild dance moves to her passion for karaoke, she brought laughter and joy wherever she went," a statement released through Cumbria Police added."Though her life was cut short, she lived it with incredible spirit, ambition and love."The crash between the Audi A3 and Ford Focus saw the road at Twenty Row closed for several hours. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- BBC News
Man and woman die in car crash near Workington
A man and a woman have died in a car collision happened on the A66, at Twenty Row, near Workington at about 18:30 BST on Saturday and involved a silver Audi A3 and a black Ford front-seat passenger of the Ford, a woman in her 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was taken to hospital with serious front-seat passenger of the Audi, a man in his 30s, also died at the scene and the driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Both drivers are said to be in a stable condition, Cumbria Police road was closed for several hours on Saturday are asking for anyone who saw what happened, or who has dashcam footage, to get in touch. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
A66 road dualling approved again after spending review
A plan to dual the A66 has been approved again, a year after the government put the scheme on project to widen the road, which runs from Penrith to Scotch Corner, was approved by the previous Conservative government, but when Labour won the election last July it put the plan on hold to review a "black hole" in the public Department for Transport (DfT) has now confirmed the work in a £92bn national package announced on Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, said: "This was one of the biggest road projects in the UK and it's frustrating that it's taken so long to get an answer, but I'm really pleased it's gone our way. We've fought hard for this." The DfT said the amount of HGV traffic on the A66, which also has single lane sections in County Durham, was more than twice the national average for a road of this added the widening would shave up to 12 minutes off journeys and boost the economy by speeding up access to other routes such as the M6 and A1 (M), as well as to ports such as Stranraer in south-west Scotland.A timeline for the work to be carried out is yet to be Farron, the LibDem MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, had joined forces with the former Conservative Prime Minister and MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire Rishi Sunak to press for the work to be carried out on the road which crosses their said the connection to other routes made "so much sense for the economy" and the work would improve safety on the road."For those people who are most concerned locally about the loss of life on the A66, I think for them and for me this is a moment of great relief," he said. 'More traffic' fear The plan to dual the A66 had been subject of a failed legal challenge by Transport Action Network (TAN).The group believes the work to upgrade 18 miles of single carriageway offered "poor" value for money and would increase Todd, TAN's director, said the project would cost "more than it will ever deliver in economic benefits"."It represents another set back for the government's growth agenda. The only thing that this will grow is more traffic and more HGVs on our road, making them less safe."This will lead to nearly three million tons of carbon - it completely contradicts the government's drive for decarbonisation and nature protection."But Farron said the scheme would benefit local people and ease traffic."What really peaks carbon emissions is when you have thousands and thousands of vehicle, including 25% of them being freight, stood still belching out fumes because of all the traffic hold-ups because of the accidents and that's one of the reasons why I think that case fell."Campbell-Savours said there was "nothing environmentally friendly" about the current congestion."For many of us it's exactly about better junctions, safer junctions and a road system that doesn't see Penrith getting gnarled up every weekend," he DfT has announced a wider £92bn investment across England, including upgrading road and rail networks and extending the £3 bus cap. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
