I have noticed recently there is a semi permanent sign up on the 66 with a new 40mph limit but no sign of any roadworks.
Anyone know if this is a trial and they are looking to make the whole stretch a permanent 40? If so it could add an extra 10/15mins on the average journey which could be an issue for some.
I haven’t noticed many accidents on there in a long time so unsure why it would be changed? Unless local gestapo (residents) have started a local campaign to slow trucks along the whole stretch
Whereabouts on the 66? I traveled from Scotch Corner to Penrith this morning and didn’t notice any 40 limits, with the exception of Temple Sowerby of course.
Mick Bracewell:
Where is the A66 expert Conor Turton when you need him?
I’m here…
They put in a temporary 40 MPH limit where they’ve been doing overnight roadworks for the last 5 weeks at the end of the single carriageway stretch after Mainsgill Farm Shop. They extended that for the last week and a bit to the turn off for Barnard Castle HGV route and coming Eastbound from the end of the dual carriageway section where the quarry is to the start of that single carriageway stretch where Mainsgill Farm Shop is.
The area covering around Barnard Castle should be lifted now though as it was only in place on that stretch of dual carriageway because of the roadworks at the Barnard Castle junction. There’s about another week of roadworks left on the SC section near Scotch Corner but on Friday night it looked almost completed.
Even if it became permanent it’d add no more than a few minutes each way.
It was just before Bernard castle. A digital works sign. It seems to only be heading eastbound.
I’m guessing the 69 will be the road of choice for the 10 year stretch. I would imagine they would shut it completely overnight rather than run diversions
ArcticMonkey:
They’re making A66 from Scotch Corner to Penrith full dual carriageway, it’s gonna be a 10 year project
They were saying that in 1980, it was to be a 20 year project at that time.
Ok there has been a vast improvement since that time,.with a couple of by passes,.and d/c stretches, as it was bloody awful in parts, but they’re still 20 yrs behind schedule to date on that from the intended completion of 2000.
thehighlandscot:
It was just before Bernard castle. A digital works sign. It seems to only be heading eastbound.
I’m guessing the 69 will be the road of choice for the 10 year stretch. I would imagine they would shut it completely overnight rather than run diversions
All roadworks had been lifted last night as predicted. Still some 40MPH signs up for a short stretch of about half a mile near that junction on the SC section but nobody taking any notice.
No need to shut it overnight apart from maybe the odd few nights near the end of each section being completed. They posted the plans on Traffic England North East Division website the other week. Basically the new DC sections are running alongside the original single carriageway or looping round obstacles. For example where that 40 limit section we’ve been talking about is they’re looping round the back of the church, they’re looping to the north of Mainsgill Farm, they’re looping round the north side of Kirkby Thore and running a section on the old Roman Road at Warcop bends which will also nicely straighten out that section.
That means in the most part it’ll be completely separate new road they’re building and it’s only when they graft into the existing DC sections there’ll be closures. If the A1 to A1M upgrade from Leeming Bar to Scotch Corner and when they upgraded the A74 and A1 at Peterborough is anything to go by it won’t be that bad.
As whatever alternative you take, whether M62-M6 or A69, adds 40-45 minutes each way they’ll want to minimise the impact because of the grief adding an hour and a half to night trunks will cause. And yeah I know there were lots of closures on the A1 Leeming to Scotch but that was mostly caused by the major bridge work they had to do at Catterick, those two embankments they had trouble sorting slippage on and the actual junction upgrade at Scotch Corner.
Anyone got a spare five quid, I think I need to go buy a life.
