Transport Insights

Transport Action Network has published the latest piece in its National Highways Watch series, which I researched and wrote, looking at how the government-owned company regularly overspends on enhancements projects.

It is, I hope, a comprehensive account on past, current and future projects, as well as scrapped schemes like the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel.

Among schemes that the Labour government has not yet admitted it can’t afford are the £10bn+ Lower Thames Crossing and the £1.5bn A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project, which is currently stuck in the Department for Transport’s value for money review.

Both have very low benefit cost ratios and seem to be being driven by politics more than anything.

Last month’s Spending Review did not mention the A66 scheme, something that the Northern Echo noticed, before reporting what it optimistically called an “update”, based on a Treasury Statement.

A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “The Department for Transport will set out their long-term plan for the Strategic Road Network through the third Road Investment Strategy.

“Further details on individual schemes like the A66 will be provided by the Department for Transport in due course.”

Labour is rightly using a hiatus between five-year road investment strategies to rethink what it want to fund but the government has previously said the RIS would be aligned with the spending review and “in due course” is governments’ much-mocked way of refusing to give a firm date.

So not much of an update.

In the meantime, National Highways’ microsite for the mega project has announced that:

As part of our ongoing work to support utility diversions, the footpath on the eastbound carriageway of the A66, just west of Kemplay roundabout, will permanently close from Sunday 2 June.

This closure is necessary to allow for the installation of a new access road to facilitate upcoming construction activities safely and efficiently.

A *permanent* closure of a footpath to facilitate upcoming construction activities that remain in the balance? Does National Highways know something we don’t?