A66 dualling scheme secures funding
The £1.4bn project to dual the road between the M6 and A1(M) at Scotch Corner has secured government support, but National Highways has yet to confirm when construction will begin.
The 80km Northern Trans-Pennine project was granted a Development Consent Order in March 2024. A subsequent legal challenge by campaign group Transport Action Network was dismissed, securing the scheme’s planning status.
The project was then paused in 2024 as the incoming Labour government reviewed public spending, but ministers confirmed in July 2025 that the scheme would go ahead as part of a wider £92bn national roads and rail investment package.
The latest indication of the project’s progress came in March 2026, when the government published its third Road Investment Strategy, covering 2026 to 2031 and backed by £27bn of national funding. The A66 Penrith-to-Scotch Corner dualling scheme was named as a priority project under the strategy.
The scheme is being delivered in collaboration by Balfour Beatty, Kier and Aureos, formerly Keltbray.
The project runs between the M6 at Penrith and the A1(M) at Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire, with the overall programme comprising eight separate schemes.
National Highways has not yet announced a firm construction start date. The next key milestone is approval of the project’s Final Business Case, which is expected to pave the way for large-scale works.
The Department for Transport had initially expected work to begin during the 2026-2031 period, while National Highways had targeted a start before the end of 2026.
Preparatory work has continued, including archaeological surveys, utility diversions and land negotiations with landowners.
Once complete, the dualling is expected to cut journey times by up to 12 minutes and improve safety along the route, with 12 deaths reported on the road since 2023.
