£500,000 to remove A66 bottleneck west of Penrith
Drivers in Cumbria are to get safer and more reliable journeys along the A66 between Keswick and Penrith thanks to a £500,000 Highways England carriageway widening project.
A single lane carriageway section of the route near Troutbeck is to be widened to provide space for 2 new dedicated right turns which will relieve queuing behind vehicles waiting to turn into local roads and also reduce the potential for shunt style collisions.
The new right turns will serve traffic heading for 2 businesses on either side of the A66 – the Sportsman Inn and Cocklakes Farm.
Highways England project manager Peter Gee said:
This work will provide a dedicated waiting space for vehicles wishing to turn right into junctions serving these 2 businesses – removing a bottleneck on the main carriageway and providing safer, more reliable journeys.
Work to provide the new arrangements will start on Monday 14 September and is expected to be completed by Sunday 8 November. Highways England contractors will be on site around the clock and there will be a 40mph speed limit in place for the safety of road workers and drivers.
The work will require the use of temporary traffic signals but these will be restricted to off-peak times – between 9.30am and 3.30pm – during the day.
Between 8pm and 6am each night there will be occasions when drivers will be held at the temporary traffic lights and led past the road works in 10 mph convoys by a contractor’s vehicle.
Temporary traffic signals may be used occasionally at peak times during reconstruction of the carriageway.
Drivers are advised to allow up to 10 minutes of extra time for journeys when the temporary traffic signals are in place.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.