Tees Valley Mayor calls Government to bring A19 upgrade forward

August 25th 2017

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is calling on the Government to bring forward upgrades to the A19 between Norton and Wynyard.

Current plans made by the Department for Transport (DfT) have the upgrades, which would widen a 3.1 mile (5km) stretch of the A19, state that the scheme will start in 2020 and construction would be completed by 2022.

Mr Houchen called for the change following a review of the proposed upgrade, in which Highways England concluded that the project will not require a Development Consent Order (DCO), a statutory instrument that could take up to 15 months to finalise.

Because a DCO is not needed, in a letter to the Minister the Mayor has called on DfT to bring forward the start of construction to late 2018 or early 2019, citing the contribution that this will make to his Plan for Growth.

The planned improvements to the A19, which is recognised as a nationally important strategic corridor, would promote economic growth in Tees Valley by unlocking major housing and development sites.

Mr Houchen said: “I’ve made upgrading our roads a key part of my Plan for Growth. If I am successful in accelerating the delivery of this project, it will make a significant contribution to the lives of Teessiders, leading to more jobs and quicker journeys.

“I have put a strong case to my colleagues in Government and I hope that ministers agree with me that this is a serious opportunity to make life better for people in Tees Valley.”