Strategic Road Studies

A66 Northern Trans-Pennine

Between Derby and Stoke-on-Trent in the south and Glasgow and Edinburgh in the North, there is only one continuous east-west dual carriageway road: the M62. This means there is only one dual carriageway continuous east-west route in the whole of the North of England.

This project is focusing on upgrading the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and A1(M) at Scotch Corner, including a consistent dual carriageway and improved junctions. This will provide another much-needed east-west connection in the North.

Manchester North West Quadrant Study

Whilst the M60 around Manchester fulfils a similar role to the M25 around London, no part of it is further than five miles from Manchester city centre and it is therefore also an integral part of Greater Manchester’s local road network. The North-West Quadrant of the M60 between junctions 8 and 18 contains some of the busiest stretches of road outside the M25.

The Manchester North-West Quadrant study has been investigating potential improvements to both road and public transport infrastructure in this area, to allow better options for both local and long-distance journeys.

Transport for the North are continuing to work with National Highways and the Department for Transport to review the most suitable options for improving connectivity, resilience and support economic growth in the area.

Southern Trans Pennine Connectivity

The journey time between Manchester and Sheffield, two of the North’s major cities which are less than forty miles apart, is the worst per-mile journey time for any UK city pair. Average speeds are regularly below 30 miles per hour.

Previous studies have focused on improving road connectivity between Sheffield and Manchester via a tunnelled highway. These studies have established that while there is a strong strategic case for the tunnel option, the economic case is weak and the environmental impacts would be significant.

Transport for the North and the Department for Transport are working closely with National Highways to assess smaller scale and stand-alone options. These will aim to alleviate the known issues on the worst performing sections of the route, with a greater focus on safety, resilience and reliability. We will build on previous studies, but take a broader view by considering active travel and public transport improvements in more detail.