Following today’s Cabinet Meeting of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, delivery of the £250m Darlington Northern Link Road has been approved.
This funding will come out of the £978m allocated by the Government in the second round City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS2). This is treble the size of the funds that were awarded in round one with much of the extra fund being made available due to the cancellation of the Northern leg of HS2 in October 2023.
The A66 Northern Link Road will run north from Great Burdon, to join the A1 near Brafferton, providing critical east-west connectivity between the Tees Valley, the A19 and the A1(M). With the current road network, there is a missing strategic link for traffic travelling from the Tees Valley heading north on the A1(M), and vice versa for traffic travelling south on the A1(M) heading to the Tees Valley. This traffic is currently using the A1150 and A167 through the north of Darlington, but these routes are wholly unsuitable for the volume and type of traffic using them.
The route will significantly reduce journey times from Newton Aycliffe to the Teesside area, that will no longer have to travel through Darlington.
Paul Howell, Conservative MP for Sedgefield, said: “This is fantastic news for the residents of north Darlington but it is also very important for the businesses in Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding area and will greatly improve their access routes to Teesside and the port.”
The Darlington Northern Link Road is part of the ten-year Strategic Transport Plan (STP), which provides the framework for all transport investment by the Combined Authority.
Lord Ben Houchen, the Conservative elected Mayor of Tees Valley earlier this month, said: “This fantastic scheme has been kicking about for decades without ever being delivered – and I am going to put that right!
“As we attract huge investment to the area, grow our Freeport and increase our freight network, we need to protect our town centres and this new road will ease congestion and make travelling much easier for people living and working in Darlington.”
Paul Howell MP added: “I have seen how the continual growth of traffic has blighted that part of Darlington and, as MP for Sedgefield, I see the frustrations of the businesses in Newton Aycliffe and elsewhere trying to import or export through Teesport. The need for this relief road is clear and obvious and I am delighted to see the progress made with the TVCA cabinet today.”