A66 Northern Trans-Pennine
We'll be improving the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and A1 at Scotch Corner. The project will involve upgrading single carriageway sections of road to dual carriageway standard and making improvements to the junctions along the route.
Project information
The A66 is a key national and regional strategic link for a range of traffic movements for east/west journeys in the North of England and provides vital connections for freight and businesses in the regions.
The A66 carries high levels of freight traffic, accounting for 25% heavy goods vehicles (HGV’s) compared to the national average figure of 12%. The A66 is also an important route for tourism, providing access to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Lake District National Park.
The A66 is essential to the continued development of the economy in the north of the country. Investigations are underway to examine the case for dualling the road and making other improvements along its length in order to support future local and national growth and development.
Development Consent Order process (DCO)
The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project is known as a Nationally Significant Project (NSIP). This means that we must apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to proceed with the project.
This short video gives more information about the process behind the DCO and how we build roads.
Scotch Corner is of national significance, and was associated with the Iron Age oppidum (or tribal centre) at Stanwick a short distance to the north west.
Work in the northern section of the site identified an industrial area where huge quantities of coin pellet mould were discovered. The pellets produced in the moulds would have been used to produce coinage, and this represents the first evidence for this kind of activity in this area.
You can read more about some of the items that were found on our web page.
A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project provides the opportunity to:
- improve journey times, reliability and resilience on the A66 between the junctions with the A1 and M6
- improve strategic regional and national connectivity, particularly for freight and tourism
- aim to reduce delays at the A66/A6 junction
- aim to reduce physical barriers for communities
- aim to improve air quality and noise for those that live and work along the route
- improve connectivity between key employment areas of Cumbria, Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear areas
- improve connectivity for residents and workforce living and working in close proximity, and improve amenities for cyclists and pedestrians
- improve access to key tourist destinations such as the North Pennines and the Lake District
- contribute to the future economic growth of the north of England, supporting the growth envisaged by the Northern Powerhouse
Documents

Traffic information
Information about scheduled roadworks and events on our motorways and major roads.Sign up for updates!
Keep up to date with what's happening on this scheme by signing up to our updates.