Transport Secretary unveils enhanced A1 following £400M overhaul

Britain’s biggest road is today a little bigger following a comprehensive £400M pound overhaul intended to boost journey times and better driver safety.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was on-hand to officially reopen a section of the A1 to oncoming traffic. The scheme, which represents the biggest road building project of its kind in the North today, has delivered new motorway links from London right the way through to Newcastle.

The comprehensive road improvement programme has also provided an additional lane running in each direction near Catterick, which promises to reduce average journey times by a fifth and prevent 450 road traffic accidents over a 60 year period. Crucially, upwards of £1Bn pounds will be pumped into the UK economy.

The overhaul forms part of the government’s £15Bn pound road investment strategy, which aims to transform the road network and bolster connectivity between Britain’s towns and cities.

“Our record investment to improve our roads is making a real difference to people’s lives – providing quicker and safer journeys for millions of drivers,” said Minister Grayling. “This scheme will not only save motorists time stuck in traffic, but will also help unlock £1Bn into the economy.

“It also fills in the missing link to provide motorway-standard roads between Newcastle and London, helping businesses in the north by opening up new opportunities thanks to better and more reliable connections to the rest of the country.”

Highways England Senior Project Manager Tom Howard added: “This is great news for the almost 70,000 drivers who already use this section every day and whose journeys will be safer and faster. At the same time we’ve also made it easier for local people to access the A1 safely, and we’ve planted miles of hedgerows and acres of woodland.

“This has been the biggest road project in the north and I would like to thank everybody involved in the scheme for their hard work and commitment in making it happen.”

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