A66 upgrades between Appleby and Keswick
Three schemes to upgrade sections of the A66 between Appleby-in-Westmorland and Keswick are due to begin on Monday 15 September.
The Highways Agency projects are expected to take up to six weeks to complete and include improving drainage, resurfacing the road and providing better road markings.
Contractors will resurface a 2.5-mile stretch of the A66 dual carriageway between the entry and exit slip roads for Appleby. A full closure of the westbound side of the road will be required overnight from 8pm on Friday 19 September until 6am on Saturday 20 September, with traffic being diverted through the town centre.
The project team will also use the latest technology to improve drainage on a 1.5-mile section of the A66 between the junctions for Long Marton and Kirkby Thore. They will feed lining into the existing pipes to prevent leaks, without the need to dig trenches and therefore minimising disruption for road users and businesses.
The third scheme also involves improving drainage and will affect a 1.5-mile stretch of the A66 around Keswick, between the junction with the A591 and Crosthwaite roundabout.
Peter Gee, Project Manager at the Highways Agency, said:
These schemes will improve the condition of the road and minimise the incidents of flooding, providing smoother and more reliable journeys between Appleby and Keswick.
We’re doing everything we can to minimise the disruption caused by the projects. This includes carrying out the work overnight or at off-peak times during the day, as well as using technology which means we won’t have to dig trenches.
We expect the schemes to take up to six weeks to complete so all of the improvements should be in place by the end of October.
The work on the Appleby and Kirkby Thore schemes will be carried out overnight, between 8pm and 6am. Temporary traffic lights will be in place and motorists may be led through the roadworks in convoys on some occasions.
Temporary traffic lights will also operate at off-peak times during the day for the Keswick scheme, between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Some overnight work may also be required.
The Appleby scheme is due to be completed by Sunday 28 September, and the Kirkby Thore and Keswick schemes by Sunday 26 October. A temporary 40mph speed limit will be in place for safety reasons at all times of the day for all three projects.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.